The decline in Medicare Advantage has left nearly 3 million seniors without a plan, with insurers pulling out of counties across the country, surprising retirees with sudden plan terminations. A study from the JAMA study found that approximately 2.9 million enrollees were forced to disenroll this year alone, representing roughly 10 percent of all Medicare Advantage beneficiaries in individual HMO and PPO plans. The average forced disenrollment rate hovered at 1 percent from 2018 through 2024, which then surged to 6.9% in 2025 and then rose to 10% for the 2026 plan year. Major carriers, including UnitedHealthcare and Humana, have cut their plan offerings and reduced supplemental benefit packages for seniors. Insurance companies attribute this to rising medical costs and slower federal reimbursement growth. The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission estimated that Medicare Advantage cost taxpayers $76 billion more than traditional Medicare in 2026 alone. Federal regulators have slowed payment increases to insurers in an attempt to address a persistent overpayment gap, which could reach $1.2 trillion over the next decade.