What Exactly Did NCH Announce — and Why Does It Matter?

On August 27, 2026, Naples Comprehensive Health posted notice on its website and began alerting patients that it will end its contracts with two Medicare Advantage carriers: Cigna/Healthspring Medicare Advantage and Wellcare Medicare Advantage. The change is effective January 1, 2027, per reporting by the Naples Daily News and confirmed on NCH’s own insurance plans page, which now shows both carriers listed as “Out of Network 12/31/26.”

This is not a minor network adjustment. For patients who remain enrolled in a Cigna or Wellcare Medicare Advantage plan past December 31:

• NCH hospitals and medical centers will be out of network — out-of-network cost sharing applies if the plan covers it at all
• NCH physicians will not schedule elective appointments with patients still in those plans
• Emergency care protections under Medicare law still apply in true emergencies, but routine and scheduled care will be disrupted

NCH said the decision came after “significant consideration and evaluation,” and that by focusing on a select group of Medicare Advantage partners, it can ensure those plans “truly support high-quality, patient-centered care.” The health system is encouraging all affected patients to review their options before Annual Enrollment closes.

NCH Is Not Alone — This Is a National Trend Accelerating Into 2027

What is happening in Naples is happening across the country — and the trajectory is getting steeper, not flatter.

According to ongoing tracking by Becker’s Hospital Review, at least 25 major health systems have dropped or are dropping Medicare Advantage contracts in 2026 alone — following 40 systems in 2025 and 32 in 2024. Since 2023, roughly 90 hospitals and health systems have terminated some or all of their Medicare Advantage contracts. NCH’s departure adds to that total, and more announcements are expected before AEP opens October 15.

Health Systems That Have Already Exited or Are Exiting MA Networks in 2026

Partial list based on Becker’s Hospital Review tracking through August 2026. Additional exits are expected before AEP. Verify directly with your specific hospital and plan.

Why Are Providers Leaving Medicare Advantage?

The reasons are consistent across systems and have been building for years. Health systems that end MA contracts typically cite a combination of:

• Prior authorization burdens: Excessive and often algorithm-driven prior auth requirements that delay or deny medically necessary care — and consume significant administrative resources
• Reimbursement disputes: MA plan payment rates that do not keep pace with the actual cost of providing care, particularly in high-acuity settings
• Claim rejection rates: High rates of initial claim denials that require costly appeals processes with uncertain outcomes
• Administrative complexity: Constantly changing plan rules, multiple formularies, and network management requirements that add cost and friction to care delivery
• Lack of clinical autonomy: Insurer-driven protocols that override physician judgment on treatment decisions

For a major regional health system like NCH — which describes itself as focused on “high-quality, patient-centered care” — the calculus became clear: fewer, more aligned MA partners are better than broad participation with plans that create barriers to care.

On the Insurer Side: Carriers Are Also Exiting 2027 Markets

The pressure is not only coming from providers. On the carrier side, Medicare Advantage plan exits for 2027 are accelerating simultaneously — creating a pincer effect that leaves many beneficiaries with fewer options on both dimensions.

• Humana — announcing “targeted plan exits” for 2027 affecting coverage for 600,000 members, per Healthcare Dive and Forbes
• Presbyterian Health Plan (NM) — exiting additional MA markets in 2027, affecting approximately 30,000 subscribers
• Molina Healthcare — discontinuing Medicare Advantage plans with prescription-drug coverage for 2027

The combination of provider exits and carrier exits leaves some Medicare beneficiaries caught in the middle — losing their preferred hospital system, their preferred plan, or both — heading into AEP with no clear path back.

What Medicare Beneficiaries in Collier County Need to Know

What are my options if I am in a Cigna or Wellcare MA plan and use NCH?

You have three primary paths — and the window to act is narrow:

1. Switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan that keeps NCH in network. During AEP (October 15 – December 7, 2026), you can switch to any MA plan available in your ZIP code. Before enrolling, confirm with NCH that the new plan is contracted for 2027.
2. Return to Original Medicare (Parts A and B) and add a Medigap policy plus a Part D drug plan. Original Medicare has no network — NCH physicians who accept Medicare will see you regardless of which Medigap plan you carry. This is the coverage path that eliminates network risk entirely.
3. Enroll in Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment (January 1 – March 31, 2027) if you miss AEP. However, be aware: MA Open Enrollment does not allow you to add Medigap without underwriting in most states, and your access to NCH will already be disrupted for the beginning of 2027.

NCH specifically noted that patients “can continue to receive care at NCH through traditional Medicare, Medicare Supplement plans (Medigap), or any in-network Medicare Advantage plan,” per Gulf Coast News Now.

What happens if I switch from Medicare Advantage to Original Medicare now?

Switching from MA to Original Medicare during AEP does not automatically guarantee a Medigap policy. In most states, Medigap carriers can use medical underwriting to decline coverage or charge higher premiums for anyone outside of a guaranteed issue window. However, if your current MA plan is being discontinued by the carrier — as is the case with some Humana and Presbyterian exits for 2027 — you may have a guaranteed issue right. Consult a licensed Medicare broker to understand what protections apply to your specific situation.

Why This Moment Is a Turning Point — Not an Exception

Brokers who frame NCH’s exit as a one-off event for one market are missing the larger story. What is happening in Naples is a concentrated version of a structural realignment underway across every major metro in the country.

The math that once made Medicare Advantage attractive to providers — bundled payments, quality bonuses, and patient attribution — has shifted. CMS raised MA benchmark payments by 2.48% for 2027, per the CMS 2027 Rate Announcement. But medical cost inflation continues to outpace that increase, making loss ratios unsustainable for plans that do not aggressively manage utilization through prior authorization — the very tactic that drives providers away.

This is not a temporary negotiating dispute. It is a structural incompatibility between the economics of Medicare Advantage as currently designed and the expectations of health systems committed to broad, timely, patient-centered access to care. More systems will exit. More carriers will narrow or exit markets. And the beneficiaries caught in the middle — and the brokers who serve them — will bear the consequences.

The implication for every Medicare broker is clear: proactive network verification, annual plan reviews, and fluency in both Medicare Advantage and Medigap are no longer optional skills. They are the baseline.

For Brokers: How Affordable Care Agents Helps You Serve Clients Through Market Disruption

Network instability, plan exits, and provider departures create confusion — and confusion creates opportunity for the broker who is prepared. When a health system leaves a Medicare Advantage network and patients need to make a coverage change before AEP closes, the broker who calls first with a clear, compliant, client-centered recommendation wins the relationship for years.

Affordable Care Agents is a national FMO and IMO built to help brokers thrive in exactly this environment:

• Multi-carrier contracting — Medicare Advantage, Medigap, Part D, and ancillary products across markets nationwide, so you can always offer the right product for each client’s situation
• AHIP certification support — get certified at a discount through our partner portal at ahipmedicaretraining.com/clients/oim and be AEP-ready before October 15
• Compliance and CMS education — understand the 2027 rule changes, the 48-hour SOA removal (effective October 1, 2026), guaranteed issue windows, and how to guide clients through MA-to-Medigap transitions without compliance risk
• Lead programs and outreach support — identify Cigna and Wellcare MA members in affected markets and reach them with compliant, timely outreach before AEP
• Back-office and CRM tools — manage your Medicare book of business, track plan changes, and stay ahead of network disruptions with systems that work
• Training and sales coaching — master the plan comparison conversation so clients trust your guidance through a confusing marketplace

For Healthcare Providers: Thinking About Your Medicare Insurance Strategy for 2027?

NCH’s decision reflects a growing reality: not all Medicare Advantage plans are the same. Some create administrative barriers, reimbursement shortfalls, and prior authorization burdens that undermine the quality of care providers can deliver. Others are designed with aligned incentives that support clinical autonomy and timely patient access.

Providers and practice managers who are evaluating their Medicare insurance relationships for 2027 — whether reviewing which MA plans to accept, exploring Original Medicare participation, or considering how their patients would be served by Medigap coverage — have more strategic options than they may realize.

How Affordable Care Agents Can Help Providers

Affordable Care Agents works with providers in two important ways:

1. Patient education and coverage navigation: When your practice exits a Medicare Advantage network, your patients need immediate guidance on coverage alternatives. ACA brokers are equipped to meet with your affected patients, explain their AEP options — switching MA plans, returning to Original Medicare, enrolling in Medigap — and help them enroll in the right coverage before care is disrupted. We can coordinate with your patient-communication team to reach affected members quickly and compliantly.
2. Partnership and referral relationships: We regularly partner with physician groups, hospital systems, and independent practices to provide ongoing Medicare and health insurance education to their patient populations. If your organization is navigating a network change, contract dispute, or coverage transition, Affordable Care Agents is the trusted resource that helps your patients land in the right plan — reducing chaos, protecting care continuity, and freeing your administrative team to focus on what they do best.

Frequently Asked Questions: NCH, Medicare Advantage Network Exits, and AEP 2026