Centene to Exit Medicare Advantage in Three States for 2027, Affecting About 340,000 Members

Centene, which sells Medicare Advantage plans primarily under the WellCare brand, announced it will leave markets in Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Hawaii for 2027, according to reporting from Modern Healthcare. The withdrawal covers 158 counties and 133 plan contracts, displacing roughly 340,000 current members who must select new coverage during the annual enrollment period that runs October 15 through December 7.

The exit follows two consecutive years of financial pressure across the Medicare Advantage industry, during which medical costs have grown faster than federal payment rates. Centene had already trimmed its Medicare Advantage presence ahead of 2025 and has said it is continuing to exit markets where it cannot operate profitably.

Members in the three affected states will receive a non-renewal notice by mail before the enrollment window opens. Under federal rules, members whose plan is terminated receive a special enrollment period that lets them switch to another Medicare Advantage plan or move to Original Medicare, typically paired with a standalone Part D prescription drug plan. That window generally runs alongside and slightly beyond the standard October-to-December enrollment period.

The Centene announcement adds further scale to an ongoing wave of 2027 market exits that already includes Humana's departure from markets covering about 600,000 members and Providence Health Plan's full closure, which affects roughly 64,000 Medicare Advantage enrollees.

Affected members should verify which Medicare Advantage plans and Original Medicare options remain available in their county for 2027 before the enrollment period closes on December 7.