At Least 25 Health Systems Have Dropped Medicare Advantage Contracts in 2026 as Open Enrollment Nears

A running tracker compiled by Becker's Hospital Review shows at least 25 major health systems terminated or declined to renew Medicare Advantage contracts in 2026, a number that climbed steadily through midyear. Named institutions include Mayo Clinic, which went out of network with most UnitedHealthcare and Humana Medicare Advantage plans at the start of 2026, and Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, scheduled to leave Humana's network October 1, 2026.

Hospitals and health systems most often cite three pressures behind these departures: prior authorization denials that delay or block patient care, slow or disputed reimbursement from plans, and the administrative burden of algorithm-driven claims review that hospitals say generates inappropriate rejections. The trend follows a similar pattern from 2025, when approximately 40 health systems exited Medicare Advantage contracts.

For Medicare Advantage enrollees, a hospital's departure from their plan network can raise the cost of care substantially. Out-of-network facility charges count differently toward a member's annual out-of-pocket limit, and the effective ceiling for out-of-network care in many PPO plans is considerably higher than the in-network maximum.

With the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period opening October 15 and running through December 7, 2026, checking network status before that window opens is an important step. Medicare's Plan Finder tool at medicare.gov lets beneficiaries confirm whether their doctor, hospital, or specialist is in-network for any given plan. Members who find a preferred provider has left their current plan can use open enrollment to switch to one that still includes it.