How Selective Repositioning Is Reshaping Payer Strategy, Plan Design, and Member Choice
The Medicare Advantage market is entering 2027 with fewer total plan offerings, but the more important story lies beyond the headline numbers.
Wakely’s new white paper, Beyond the Plan Count: The Forces Reshaping Medicare Advantage in 2027, examines how payers are refining their Medicare Advantage portfolios in 2027 through targeted exits, product repositioning, benefit changes, and continued growth in Chronic Special Needs Plans.
Using the 2027 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Landscape File and the 2026–2027 CMS Crosswalk File, this white paper provides a nationwide view of changes in plan availability, product mix, payer participation, premiums, Part D benefits, maximum out-of-pocket limits, service areas, and enrollment capacity limits.
DOWNLOAD NOWWhat This White Paper Reveals
The 2027 Market Is Contracting Selectively, Not Broadly
Total Medicare Advantage plan offerings declined modestly from 2026 to 2027, driven primarily by a reduction in general enrollment products. At the same time, Special Needs Plans (SNPs) continued to grow, particularly Chronic Condition Special Needs Plans (C-SNPs).
The result is a market characterized by portfolio discipline and targeted expansion rather than across-the-board cuts.
Millions of Members May Need to Reassess Their Coverage
More than 6.3 million Medicare Advantage members (approximately 18.5% of total enrollment) are affected by plan terminations or crosswalks for 2027.
Approximately 3 million members, or 8.8% of total Medicare Advantage enrollment, are enrolled in plans that will close without an automatic transition to another plan. These members will need to actively select new coverage during the upcoming open enrollment period.
C-SNP Growth Remains a Defining Trend
C-SNP offerings increased 34% from 2026 to 2027, following 56% growth in 2026. The number of organizations offering C-SNPs increased from approximately 28 in 2023 to 56 in 2027.
Most new C-SNP activity is concentrated in cardiovascular disease, chronic heart failure, and diabetes products. Devoted accounted for roughly half of the new C-SNP products, while Aetna, United, and Humana also had sizable new C-SNP offerings.
Product Mix Continues to Shift Toward HMOs
HMO offerings increased by 63 plans to reach 2,531 plans in 2027. Local PPO offerings declined by 83 plans, while HMO-POS offerings remained essentially flat.
In 2027, HMOs represent approximately 46% of plan offerings, followed by local PPOs at 32% and HMO-POS plans at 21%.
Benefit Changes Point Toward Greater Cost Discipline
Approximately two-thirds of 2027 plan offerings have no member premium, and more than 69% of new plans have no member premium.
However, average General Enrollment Part D deductibles increased from $363 to $493, while average Part C maximum out-of-pocket limits increased from $5,330 to $5,874. These changes may indicate somewhat leaner plan designs, even as the market continues to emphasize low-premium products.
Payers Are Balancing Growth with Enrollment Management
Thirty-four carriers are leaving the Medicare Advantage market entirely, while only 10 carriers are entering. New entrants are offering 42 plans, roughly half of which are SNPs.
For the first time, plans were allowed to apply for plan-level enrollment capacity limits visible. Only 64 plan offerings reported an accepted capacity limit, ranging from 410 to 56,345 members, with a median limit of 5,689 members.
Questions Addressed in This White Paper
- How is the Medicare Advantage plan landscape changing for 2027?
- Which product types are growing, declining, or stabilizing?
- How many members are affected by plan terminations and crosswalks?
- Which payers are expanding or reducing their plan footprints?
- What is driving continued C-SNP growth?
- How are premiums, Part D deductibles, and maximum out of pocket (MOOP) limits changing?
- What do enrollment capacity limits reveal about payer strategy?
- What should Medicare Advantage organizations consider during the 2027 open enrollment period?
Who Should Read This White Paper
This resource is designed for:
- Medicare Advantage executives and product leaders
- Health plan strategy and market intelligence teams
- Actuaries and pricing professionals
- Provider organizations evaluating Medicare Advantage partnerships
- Investors and analysts following managed care
- Policymakers and industry stakeholders
- Organizations assessing C-SNP opportunities and market exits
About This Analysis
This white paper compares the 2026 and 2027 Medicare Advantage markets using CMS’s 2027 Landscape File, released on September 28, 2026, and the CY 2026–2027 Crosswalk File, released on October 5, 2026.
The analysis covers Medicare Advantage, cost plans, SNPs, and stand-alone Prescription Drug Plans, as represented in the CMS files. Employer-sponsored plans, Part B-only plans, and national Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) plans are excluded.
Enrollment figures referenced in this white paper are based on CMS enrollment data from September 2026.
