UCare terminates Medicare Advantage plans for 2026 amid financial turmoil - Insurance News | InsuranceNewsNet

InsuranceNewsNet — Your Industry. One Source.™

Sign in
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Home Now reading Newswires
Topics
    • Advisor News
    • Annuity Index
    • Annuity News
    • Companies
    • Earnings
    • Fiduciary
    • From the Field: Expert Insights
    • Health/Employee Benefits
    • Insurance & Financial Fraud
    • INN Magazine
    • Insiders Only
    • Life Insurance News
    • Newswires
    • Property and Casualty
    • Regulation News
    • Sponsored Articles
    • Washington Wire
    • Videos
    • ———
    • About
    • Meet our Editorial Staff
    • Advertise
    • Contact
    • Newsletters
  • Exclusives
  • NewsWires
  • Magazine
  • Newsletters
Sign in or register to be an INNsider.
  • AdvisorNews
  • Annuity News
  • Companies
  • Earnings
  • Fiduciary
  • Health/Employee Benefits
  • Insurance & Financial Fraud
  • INN Exclusives
  • INN Magazine
  • Insurtech
  • Life Insurance News
  • Newswires
  • Property and Casualty
  • Regulation News
  • Sponsored Articles
  • Video
  • Washington Wire
  • Life Insurance
  • Annuities
  • Advisor
  • Health/Benefits
  • Property & Casualty
  • Insurtech
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Editorial Staff

Get Social

  • Facebook
  • X
  • LinkedIn
Health/Employee Benefits News
Newswires RSS Get our newsletter
Order Prints
September 4, 2025 Newswires
Share
Share
Post
Email

UCare terminates Medicare Advantage plans for 2026 amid financial turmoil

Victor Stefanescu, Star TribuneThe Minneapolis Star Tribune

UCare, one of the largest providers of privatized Medicare plans in Minnesota, plans to stop offering Medicare Advantage plans used by thousands of Minnesota seniors in 2026 as it continues to face significant financial headwinds.

The Minneapolis-based nonprofit insurer enrolled more than 180,000 Minnesotans in its Medicare Advantage (MA) program this year, an increase of about 20%, according to a Minnesota Star Tribune analysis of federal data. UCare has 158,000 MA members as of today.

“This decision was not made lightly,” UCare CEO Hilary Marden-Resnik said in a statement Thursday. “UCare remains deeply committed to the health of Minnesotans and to supporting members through upcoming transitions.”

With Medicare’s annual enrollment period set to start in just over a month, UCare’s decision to not offer MA coverage in 2026 will transform the state’s private Medicare market at a time when insures face financial challenges from increases in health care service use and stagnant payment rates they say are insufficient.

UCare serves patients with publicly funded or subsidized health insurance. The insurer will continue offering supplemental plans for traditional Medicare, as well as MinnesotaCare coverage, special needs plans, and individual and family plans on MNsure.

In 2025, UCare had the second-highest enrollment in the state for MA plans.

For decades, health insurers competed to grow their MA businesses, which have become as popular as original Medicare administered by the federal government. But earlier this year, UCare stopped offering commissions for brokers who signed up new MA members.

UCare had an operating loss in 2023, which ballooned to more than $500 million in 2024.

UCare said in its statement Thursday that the cost of health care has dramatically increased in the past two years. Now, UCare is focusing its resources “on programs where it can have the most impact” to maintain stability, the nonprofit added.

Earlier this year the nonprofit health maintenance organization (HMO) had said it would stop providing state and federally funded Medicaid coverage in 11 counties, including Ramsey County. The move came as the insurer looked to make up for losses in the Medicaid and Medicare Advantage programs.

Medicaid is the largest business line at UCare, which said it will continue managing benefits for about 250,000 enrollees in the government program following the Sept. 1 coverage cuts.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is the only larger Medicare Advantage provider in Minnesota, with nearly 200,000 enrollees, according to the analysis.

This developing story will be updated.

©2025 The Minnesota Star Tribune. Visit startribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

Older

FED IN FOCUS, SEPT. 4, 2025

Newer

UCare terminates Medicare Advantage plans for next year and lays off more than 140

Advisor News

  • Nearly half of nonretirees doubt they will fully retire
  • How much could failure to fund Social Security cost average Americans?
  • How can more Americans achieve financial independence?
  • Savers vs. spenders: How money management attitudes impact financial confidence
  • Demonstrating the value of life insurance to Gen Z
More Advisor News

Annuity News

  • LIMRA predicts strong life and annuity sales for the rest of 2026
  • Jackson CEO Laura Prieskorn to retire at the end of 2026
  • Has your annuity been reinsured in the Cayman Islands? Here’s why it matters
  • DOL slams pension risk transfer lawsuit as ‘opportunistic’ litigation
  • AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of New York Life Insurance Company and Its Subsidiaries
More Annuity News

Health/Employee Benefits News

  • New dashboard tracks Kansas Affordable Care Act enrollment by legislative district, county
  • ICYMI – CANDIDATE COOPER NOW TRYING TO BLAME HIS HEALTH INSURANCE PALS FOR GOVERNOR COOPER'S 57% INCREASE IN HEALTHCARE COSTS IN NC
  • Business People: Edric Funk to take over as Toro Co. CEO
  • Insurers propose premium increases for ACA customers in Iowa
  • How Does New CareScout Long-Term Care Insurance Policy Compare In Cost
More Health/Employee Benefits News

Life Insurance News

  • LIMRA predicts strong life and annuity sales for the rest of 2026
  • Best’s Market Segment Report: AM Best Maintains Stable Outlook on Vietnam’s Non-Life Insurance Segment
  • AM Best Comments on Credit Ratings of Horace Mann Educators Corporation and Its Subsidiaries Following Announced Transaction with Medical Mutual of Ohio
  • AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of Hanwha General Insurance Company Limited
  • Globe Life boosts Q2 earnings, eyes AI shift for long-term growth
More Life Insurance News

NEWS INSIDE

  • Companies
  • Earnings
  • Economic News
  • INN Magazine
  • Insurtech News
  • Newswires Feed
  • Regulation News
  • Washington Wire
  • Videos

FEATURED OFFERS

Press Releases

  • Agent Review Launches Video AI Identity Verification to Help Protect Insurance Professionals, Consumers and Public Trust
  • Prosperity Life GroupSM Launches Prosperity PathWaySM Series, Bringing Greater Choice and Flexibility to Retirement Income Planning
  • Senior Market Sales® Fortifies Annuity Reach With Acquisition of Retirement Planning Firm Stratton & Company
  • RFP #T01625
More Press Releases > Add Your Press Release >

How to Write For InsuranceNewsNet

Find out how you can submit content for publishing on our website.
View Guidelines

Topics

  • Advisor News
  • Annuity Index
  • Annuity News
  • Companies
  • Earnings
  • Fiduciary
  • From the Field: Expert Insights
  • Health/Employee Benefits
  • Insurance & Financial Fraud
  • INN Magazine
  • Insiders Only
  • Life Insurance News
  • Newswires
  • Property and Casualty
  • Regulation News
  • Sponsored Articles
  • Washington Wire
  • Videos
  • ———
  • About
  • Meet our Editorial Staff
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Newsletters

Top Sections

  • AdvisorNews
  • Annuity News
  • Health/Employee Benefits News
  • InsuranceNewsNet Magazine
  • Life Insurance News
  • Property and Casualty News
  • Washington Wire

Our Company

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Meet our Editorial Staff
  • Magazine Subscription
  • Write for INN

Sign up for our FREE e-Newsletter!

Get breaking news, exclusive stories, and money- making insights straight into your inbox.

select Newsletter Options
Facebook Linkedin Twitter
© 2026 InsuranceNewsNet.com, Inc. All rights reserved.
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • InsuranceNewsNet Magazine

Sign in with your Insider Pro Account

Not registered? Become an Insider Pro.
Insurance News | InsuranceNewsNet