Options for Medicare Advantage are shrinking again in New Hampshire, with two major providers — CVS Health and WellSense — no longer offering their plans as of January 1.
A fairly new firm, Devoted Health, will start providing plans in portions of the state next year. Its coverage area will not include Coos County, which won’t have any Medicare Advantage offerings at all in 2027.
The news follows the departure this year of Martin’s Point and Anthem and the sharp pullback of Aetna to the state’s wealthier southeast section.
Medicare is the federal health insurance program for people age 65 and older. Medicare Advantage, also called Part C, is an alternative to Medicare offered by private insurance companies approved by the federal government. It provides more benefits but at a higher cost to consumers, with varying levels of coverage.
Insurance firms say the program is becoming less attractive to them because of the Trump administration’s cutbacks on federal reimbursement, along with an increase in the population of older people and an increase in many health-care costs.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services project that statewide Medicare Advantage enrollment will decline by 18,104 beneficiaries in 2027.
Medicare Advantage is administered and regulated by the federal government, with little state involvement. In a statement, the N.H. Insurance Department said it “continues to work with CMS and Medicare Advantage carriers to better understand why New Hampshire is experiencing significant disruption and to advocate for Granite Staters affected by these changes.”
For 2027, according to the New Hampshire Insurance Department, New Hampshire will have 20 different Medicare Advantage plans offered by three organizations: Humana, UnitedHealth Group and Devoted Health. Eight of the state’s 10 counties will have at least two Medicare Advantage organizations offering coverage, but with different levels of plans available in different counties.
The biggest change for 2027 is the arrival of Devoted Health, which was founded in 2017 by two brothers, Todd and Ed Park, with a background in the health care industry. It is currently operating in 29 states, none of them located in New England. It will begin service in New Hampshire and Connecticut next year.
The end of Medicare Advantage plans from CVS Health and WellSense, which is part of BMC Health System, affects more than 14,200 people who currently enroll in their programs, according to the Insurance Department. Those people will have to enroll in programs from other companies, choosing from what is offered in their part of New Hampshire.
The enrollment period for next year’s Medicare coverage runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, although people whose plan is withdrawn or significantly changed can qualify for a Special Enrollment Period to choose another Medicare Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare, which can include a standalone Part D prescription drug plan or a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy without medical underwriting.
