3. Major Insurers Are Scaling Back Advantage Plans
This year’s market comes with some reshuffling. Several major insurers—including Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, and certain Blue Cross Blue Shield affiliates—are cutting back their Medicare Advantage offerings in 2026.
That means in many rural areas (and even a few suburbs), there will be fewer plan choices. Some counties are losing plans altogether, forcing members to switch or move back to Original Medicare.
If your current plan is leaving your area, you should have received a notice from your insurer. Don’t ignore it — if you don’t pick something new by December 7, you could be automatically dropped or defaulted back to Original Medicare (and possibly lose drug coverage).
Action step:
Call your insurer’s customer-service line and confirm:
“Is my current plan continuing in 2026?”
If not, use your open-enrollment window to select a new plan or combine Original Medicare with a Part D plan or Medigap policy.
4. Prescription Drug Changes: A $2,000 Cap Is Finally Here
Good news for anyone tired of juggling drug bills: 2026 will bring the long-awaited $2,000 annual cap on out-of-pocket costs for Medicare Part D.
That means once you hit $2,000 in prescription spending for the year, you won’t owe more — no more “donut hole” surprises.
Even better, many plans will let you spread payments over time (installments), making expensive medications easier to budget for each month.
However, keep an eye out: some Part D premiums may drop slightly, but deductibles could rise. Always check both numbers before switching.
Smart move:
Log in to Medicare.gov and review how your current drugs are covered next year. If any of your medications change tiers or become “non-preferred,” that can mean hundreds of dollars difference per year.
