Humana, UnitedHealthcare End Medicare Advantage Plans for About 1 Million; Private Plans Also in Senate Race Talk

Humana and UnitedHealthcare are discontinuing some Medicare Advantage plans beginning next year, ending coverage for about 1 million people aged 65 or older, the insurers said. A Humana spokesperson said about 600,000 enrollees will be affected by plan exits for 2027, and most will be offered an alternative plan. UnitedHealthcare confirmed it is closing a plan for roughly 390,000 members, who can move to another UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plan. The insurer cited higher costs and increased plan usage that it said affect the whole healthcare industry. Medicare open enrollment runs through Dec. 7, and as many as 5 million seniors may need to choose a new plan. Separately, Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed said in a Fox News Channel "Special Report" interview on Friday that Medicare for All would not eliminate private plans. He answered host Bret Baier's reference to his earlier statements by saying he did not say that in 2021.

Right-leaning Breitbart leads with the El-Sayed interview. Its headline centers on his past statements about Medicare for All and private plans, and it features Baier's questioning and El-Sayed's denial. The excerpt gives no figures on plan cancellations. Left-leaning NPR and CBS News cover the insurer cuts. CBS leads with the roughly 1 million affected seniors, the Humana and UnitedHealthcare figures, company statements and the alternatives offered. NPR stresses the Dec. 7 deadline and the as many as 5 million seniors who may need new plans. The two sides share a subject, private Medicare coverage, but not an event. Left outlets treat it as a consumer and insurance story, while the right outlet treats it as a political-interview story. Alternative and independent outlets had not reported this story at the time of writing, while left-leaning and right-leaning outlets had.