In December 2025, I wrote about how more and more hospital systems are opting out of Medicare Advantage networks. That trend continues in 2026, repots Jakob Emerson for Beckers. An increasing number of hospitals are leaving Medicare Advantage because the insurers operating these HMOs are using prior authorization to deny care inappropriately and not paying them what they are due. Take note: If you’re in a Medicare Advantage plan, you are gambling as to whether you will get the care you need when you need it.
This year, so far, 25 hospital systems are ending their agreements with Medicare Advantage plans.
Arkansas: White River Health in Batesville left the Aetna MA network in February.
California: Providence Clinical Network in Irvine, that has 15 hospitals across California, left the UnitedHealthcare MA network in January.
Colorado: Regional Health in Montrose left the Humana MA network
Florida:
- University of Miami Health System is ending its contract with UnitedHealthcare MA, with the exception of the Preferred Care Network plan.
- The Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa went out of network with Humana MA on July 1.
Idaho: St. Luke’s Health System in Boise left the Humana MA network.
Iowa: Iowa Specialty Hospitals and Clinics in Clarion all MA plans except Aetna, Medigold, UnitedHealthcare, and Wellmark BCBS.
Ohio:
- Kettering (Ohio) Health ended its contract with Humana and Devoted Health MA this year.
- Columbus-based Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, The James Cancer Center and OSU-affiliated physicians are leaving the Humana MA network on Oct. 1.
Massachusetts: Mass General Brigham‘s primary care providers in Somerville left the UnitedHealthcare or BCBS Massachusetts networks.
Minnesota:
- Minneapolis-based Fairview Health Services is ending its contract with UnitedHealthcare MA plans at the end of this year.
- Mayo Clinic in Rochester is now out-of-network with most MA plans from UnitedHealthcare and Humana.
New York:
- NewYork-Presbyterian will end its contract with UnitedHealthcare MA on Aug. 1.
- Mount Sinai in New York City ended its contract with Anthem MA in January.
North Carolina:
- ECU Health in Greenville is going out of network with UnitedHealthcare MA on July 15. Vidant Medical Group physicians left the network as of April 29.
- CarolinaEast Medical Center in New Bern ended its agreement with BCBS North Carolina’s MA network on July 1,; CarolinaEast Physicians is still in-network.
- UNC Health in Chapel Hill ended its contracts with Humana, WellCare (Centene), and Health Care Service Corp. (formerly Cigna) MA plans in January.
Pennsylvania: Lehigh Valley Health Network in Allentown left the UnitedHealthcare MA network in January 2026.
Rhode Island:
- Brown University Health physicians are out of network with UnitedHealthcare MA as of July 1. Brown’s hospitals have been out of network since July 2025.
- South County Hospital in South Kingston with out of network with Aetna MA.
South Carolina: Spartanburg (S.C.) Regional no longer contracts with Aetna MA since April 15.
South Dakota: Avera Health in Sioux Falls is out of network with Aetna MA.
Texas: Memorial Hermann in Houston left the BCBS Texas MA network in January.
Virginia: Centra Health in Lynchberg left the Humana MA network in January.
Washington: Tacoma, Wash.-based MultiCare no longer contracts with any nongroup MA PPO plans in the Puget Sound region.
Here’s more from Just Care:
- Hospitals increasingly opt out of Medicare Advantage networks
- Avoid private equity-owned hospitals
- Hospitals speak out against corporate health insurance
- Doctors and hospitals face increasing claims denials
- Underpayments lead hospitals and specialists to cancel Medicare Advantage contracts
