{"id":7448,"date":"2026-08-12T10:26:02","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T10:26:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tmsbrokerage.com\/?p=7448"},"modified":"2026-08-05T10:29:51","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T10:29:51","slug":"humanas-2027-medicare-advantage-exit-just-landed-heres-what-independent-agents-should-actually-do-about-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tmsbrokerage.com\/es\/2026\/08\/12\/humanas-2027-medicare-advantage-exit-just-landed-heres-what-independent-agents-should-actually-do-about-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Humana’s 2027 Medicare Advantage Exit Just Landed \u2014 Here’s What Independent Agents Should Actually Do About It"},"content":{"rendered":"

Humana announced on its July 29, 2026 earnings call that it will exit additional Medicare Advantage plans in 2027, affecting roughly 600,000 members nationwide. Independent agents shouldn’t panic-message clients yet \u2014 the specific plans and counties aren’t public. Instead, audit your book by carrier, prepare compliant outreach templates, and get contracted with alternative carriers before ANOC letters land in late September.<\/span><\/p>\n

What exactly did Humana announce?<\/b><\/h2>\n

On its Q2 earnings call on July 29, 2026, Humana confirmed it’s pulling out of more Medicare Advantage plans for the 2027 plan year. The company framed it as a margin discipline move, not a retreat from Medicare \u2014 it’s targeting what it called “lower-return” plans while leaning into higher-performing plans with stronger value-based care penetration.<\/span>
\n<\/span> The financial goal behind it is a sustainable 3% pre-tax margin by 2028. Humana also said it expects to retain “just over 40%” of affected members inside other Humana plans, which lines up with what actually happened when it trimmed plans for 2025.<\/span>
\n<\/span> Here’s the part that matters most for your week: Humana has not published which specific plans or which counties are going away. That detail comes later, through the CMS Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) letters that get mailed to members in late September and early October.<\/span><\/p>\n

How many Medicare beneficiaries are affected?<\/b><\/h2>\n

About 600,000 Humana members nationwide, based on the company’s own guidance. But Humana isn’t the only carrier doing this.<\/span>
\n<\/span> UnitedHealth is trimming roughly 1.1 million MA members. Several other insurers have announced strategic MA pullbacks over the past twelve months. Put it together and industry analysts are forecasting somewhere in the range of 3.4 to 3.8 million beneficiaries who could face forced <\/span>Medicare Advantage plan<\/span><\/a> terminations for 2027.<\/span>
\n<\/span> You’ve probably seen this coming if you’ve been paying attention. CMS benchmark pressure, medical cost growth running hotter than carriers priced for, and ongoing Star Ratings litigation have all been pushing the same direction. This is a market shakeout, and it’s been building for a couple of years now.<\/span>
\n<\/span> Here’s the thing \u2014 a shakeout isn’t a crisis for a prepared agent. It’s a reshuffle. Reshuffles create movement, and movement is where independent agents who know their book tend to do just fine.<\/span><\/p>\n

What happens to members whose plans exit?<\/b><\/h2>\n

When a plan terminates, the member gets notified through their ANOC letter, and they get two protections that open up their options.<\/span>
\n<\/span> First, they get a Special Enrollment Period. Second, they get a 63-day Guaranteed Issue period. Together, those give the member room to move in a few different directions:<\/span><\/p>\n