Humana Expands Medicare Advantage Benefits, Reduces Coverage Areas
Humana has announced its 2027 Medicare Advantage plans, offering $0 or low monthly premiums, dental, vision, and hearing benefits, and expanded coverage for those with chronic conditions. These plans will be available in 2,600 counties across 45 states and Washington, D.C., covering over 80% of U.S. counties.
The company’s Chronic Condition Special Needs Plans will expand into Pennsylvania, Utah, and Wisconsin. Humana is also standardizing core benefits across its portfolio to simplify plan comparisons.
What’s Included in the Plans
Humana’s offerings include access to $0 routine in-network lab services, $0 copays for in-network primary care visits, and hundreds of prescription medications in eligible plans. Aaron Martin, Humana’s president of insurance, stated, “Medicare Advantage brings healthcare coverage, care coordination, and additional benefits together in a way that helps support both health and affordability.”
The plans will be available in fewer counties compared to 2026, when they covered 46 states and 85% of counties. This change comes as Humana targets its least profitable plans to achieve a sustainable margin of at least 3%.
Industry Trends and Competitor Moves
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) projects a 16.5% decline in the weighted average monthly Medicare Advantage premium, from $14.37 in 2026 to $12 in 2027. CMS expects supplemental benefits, including dental, vision, and hearing coverage, to remain stable nationally.
Aetna, a competitor, is promoting low or $0 monthly premium plans, dental, vision, and hearing coverage, and SilverSneakers fitness benefits for the 2027 enrollment period. Their plans include HMO, HMO-POS, and PPO options, with varying premiums, deductibles, and coverage.
For beneficiaries, this means more choices but also the need to carefully compare plans. With coverage changing annually, CMS encourages beneficiaries to review costs, benefits, and drug coverage during the open enrollment period from October 15 to December 7.
Broader Implications and Future Outlook
Humana’s decision to exit certain plans affecting 600,000 members highlights the financial pressures insurers face in the Medicare Advantage market. Meanwhile, CVS Health, Aetna’s parent company, raised its full-year earnings outlook due to stronger-than-expected Medicare business performance.
As the Medicare Advantage environment evolves, beneficiaries will have approximately 5,532 plans to choose from in 2027, with over 99% having access to at least one plan. Eight in 10 current beneficiaries can remain in their plan with the same or a lower premium, according to CMS projections.
Plan Details and Provider Flexibility
Aetna’s HMO-POS plans typically require members to use in-network providers for medical care, while offering more flexibility for routine dental services. In contrast, PPO plans allow members to access out-of-network providers, generally at a higher cost.
Premiums, deductibles, prescription coverage, over-the-counter allowances, and post-hospitalization meal benefits vary across plans.
