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October 28, 2026

Takeaways from the most recent news in the technology and policies shaping healthcare.

Payers

Humana to Exit MA Plans Covering 600,000 Members in 2027

By Healthcare Technology News ·

Humana expects to exit Medicare Advantage plans covering about 600,000 members in 2027, deepening a retreat that reflects mounting cost pressure across the MA business. The move was disclosed on the insurer's July 29 second quarter earnings call, according to Becker's Hospital Review.

CFO Celeste Mellet said Humana will try to hold on to some of those members by steering them into other plans. "We will work to recapture a significant portion of that volume as we did in 2025," she said. In 2025, the company recaptured just over half of the members hit by earlier exits, a benchmark for how much of the 2027 volume it might retain.

The decision fits a broader industry pattern. Insurers are trimming unprofitable MA plans and geographies as medical costs rise and star ratings tighten, prioritizing profitability over raw enrollment. For members, exits mean shopping for new coverage; for providers, they can reshuffle networks and payer mix heading into 2027.

Sources

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Payers

CMS Releases 2027 Medicare Advantage Star Ratings

CMS released its 2027 Medicare Advantage star ratings on Oct. 8, shaping quality bonus payments and how insurers compete for members.

Why it matters: Star ratings control billions in quality bonus payments that determine how generous Medicare Advantage plans can be.

Payers

Walmart to Make Some GLP-1s Free for Diabetic Workers in 2027

Walmart will make more than 250 medications, including some GLP-1s for Type 2 diabetes, free to employees starting in 2027.

Why it matters: How a major self-insured employer like Walmart structures GLP-1 coverage signals where corporate drug benefits are heading amid soaring demand.

Payers

Patients Are Taking Insurance Denials Straight to the C-Suite

Some patients are overturning insurance denials by emailing insurer CEOs directly, a workaround that exposes deeper flaws in the standard appeals process.

Why it matters: When patients must reach the CEO to get covered care approved, it signals the normal denial and appeals system is failing the people it should serve.