Carriers & the market
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Cuts Several Medicare Advantage Plans, Leaving About 20,000 Members to Find New Coverage for 2027
The state's largest insurer is discontinuing plans in Middlesex, Essex, and Worcester counties, citing costs that exceeded federal reimbursements. Affected members must choose replacement coverage by December 7.
By the Goodsurance editorial teamOctober 26, 2026
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, the state's largest health insurer, is discontinuing several Medicare Advantage plans in Middlesex, Essex, and Worcester counties for 2027, affecting approximately 20,000 members who will need to find new coverage. The not-for-profit carrier is also limiting enrollment in its remaining Medicare Advantage plans on a first-come, first-served basis.
Company officials stated that the costs to run the Medicare Advantage program exceeded the federal premiums received to administer it. For 2027, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is expected to offer seven Medicare Advantage plans statewide, including three new offerings, compared with a broader lineup in 2026.
About 20,000 Massachusetts Medicare members must find new coverage by December 7 after BCBS Massachusetts discontinued plans in three counties.
Affected members should have received a notice letter around October 1, 2026, outlining their options and next steps. The current Medicare open enrollment period, which runs through December 7, 2026, gives those members a window to select new coverage taking effect January 1, 2027. Enrollees who do not actively choose a plan before that deadline may default to Original Medicare.
The development adds to a pattern seen throughout 2026 in which several Medicare Advantage insurers have pulled back from certain markets, including Molina Healthcare, Health Care Service Corporation, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, among others. Those changes mean that some members not only face plan discontinuations but must shop in markets with a smaller selection of alternatives than in prior years.
In plain words
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is stopping some of its Medicare health plans next year. About 20,000 people in three counties will need to pick a new plan. The counties are Middlesex, Essex, and Worcester. The company said running these plans cost more than the government paid them. People who are affected should have already gotten a letter in the mail. Medicare open enrollment is happening right now and goes until December 7. If your plan is ending, you need to choose a new one before that date or you will go back to Original Medicare.
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Source: The Boston Globe
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