Chartis and HealthScape Advisors, a Chartis company, have released a new report showing that the Medicare Advantage market is entering a more constrained phase after years of stronger expansion. According to the report, Medicare Advantage enrollment reached 35.4 million beneficiaries in plan

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year 2026, growing by 900,000 members, or 2.5% year over year. That marks a slower pace than in 2025 and 2024, as insurers respond to a more difficult regulatory and operating environment by narrowing geographic reach, reducing benefits, and placing greater emphasis on margin protection.

Even with that slowdown, the report suggests the sector remains in a period of strategic adjustment rather than long-term decline. Chartis and HealthScape found that many executives still expect Medicare Advantage to remain stable or continue growing at a more moderate rate, while plans increasingly focus on more targeted areas such as Special Needs Plans, where enrollment has continued to outpace the broader market. The report also points to a more concentrated competitive landscape, with a smaller group of carriers capturing much of the recent growth as others pull back and reassess their market positions.

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