Goodsurance

Carriers & the market

Providence Health Plan Will Fully Close at Year-End, Leaving 64,000 Medicare Advantage Members to Reshop

After a deal to hand off its Medicare Advantage book of business to a national carrier fell apart, Providence confirmed it will exit health insurance entirely by December 31.

By the Goodsurance editorial teamAugust 21, 2026

Providence Health Plan, the insurance arm of nonprofit hospital operator Providence, announced it will shut down all remaining health plan products by the end of 2026, including its Medicare Advantage line. The closure follows the collapse of negotiations with an unnamed national insurer that had been expected to absorb the Medicare Advantage business and keep the coverage intact for members.

Providence said the two parties could not reach an agreement despite significant effort. That outcome now leaves more than 64,000 Medicare Advantage members without coverage as of January 1, 2027.

Providence Medicare Advantage is shutting down entirely. If you have this plan, you need to pick new coverage before January 1.

Providence had disclosed in May 2026 that it would wind down its commercial and Medicaid lines, but at that time it was still working to transfer its Medicare Advantage business to another carrier. The deal's collapse removes that option and puts the Medicare Advantage closure on the same timeline as the rest of the plan.

Members who receive a notice of plan termination are entitled to a special enrollment period, which allows them to switch to a different Medicare plan outside the normal calendar. The standard annual enrollment period, which runs October 15 through December 7, also gives affected members a window to choose new coverage for 2027.

Providence's plan serves members primarily in Oregon and covers approximately 435,000 people total across its commercial, Medicaid, and Medicare products in Oregon, Washington, and California. Those non-Medicare members face separate coverage transition questions as the plan winds down.

In plain words

Providence Health Plan is closing down completely by December 31, 2026. It tried to find another insurance company to take over its Medicare Advantage plans, but that deal fell apart.

About 64,000 people who have Providence Medicare Advantage need to find a new plan. Your coverage keeps working through December 31. After that, it stops.

If your plan is closing, you will get a letter. That letter gives you a special right to pick a new Medicare plan outside the normal signup window. You can also shop for a new plan between October 15 and December 7. A new plan would start January 1, 2027.

Providence also covers about 435,000 people total across commercial and Medicaid plans in Oregon, Washington, and California. Those members face separate changes.

Source: KFF Health News
Read at the source →

More news

Other stories on what is moving in Medicare.

Carriers & the market

October 1 Exits Push the 2026 Hospital Departure Count to at Least 33 as Open Enrollment Nears

Additional hospital systems left Medicare Advantage networks on October 1, including NKC Health in Kansas City, Missouri, pushing the year-to-date tally to at least 33 and leaving affected members two weeks before open enrollment to find a new plan.

October 1, 2026

Carriers & the market

Independence Blue Cross Will Pay 22.5 Million Dollars to Settle Claims It Kept Inaccurate Medicare Advantage Diagnosis Codes

Federal prosecutors say the Philadelphia insurer used chart reviews to find additional billing opportunities but ignored those same results when they showed the company had been overpaid.

September 30, 2026

Carriers & the market

NewYork-Presbyterian and UnitedHealthcare Reach a Fifth Extension, Keeping Medicare Advantage In Network Through October 31

A new short-term agreement averts an October 1 termination and gives negotiations one more month, as members who rely on NewYork-Presbyterian facilities watch for further developments.

September 29, 2026

Carriers & the market

Federal Audit Estimates UnitedHealthcare Benefits of Texas Owes at Least 24.4 Million Dollars in Medicare Advantage Overpayments

Auditors found that medical records did not support most sampled diagnosis codes submitted for 2020 and 2021, adding to a long-running series of federal reviews targeting high-risk coding in Medicare Advantage.

September 28, 2026

Carriers & the market

HCSC Will Fully Exit Medicare Advantage in Connecticut, New York, and Washington D.C. for 2027

The company entered those three markets through its 2025 Cigna acquisition. Enrollees there will need to choose new coverage before the December 7 deadline.

September 26, 2026

Carriers & the market

UnitedHealthcare and NewYork-Presbyterian Medicare Advantage Contract Expires September 30 With No Deal Announced

The extension keeping NewYork-Presbyterian in-network for most UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage members runs out in one week. If no agreement is reached, NYP hospitals and physician groups become out-of-network on October 1, three weeks before open enrollment starts.

September 23, 2026