Corewell Health dropped three Medicare Advantage plans — West Michigan seniors must re-enroll by January 1

Corewell Health terminated contracts with Priority Health Medicare Advantage, Blue Cross Medicare Advantage, and United Healthcare Medicare Advantage effective January 1, 2026. Affected patients must switch plans during open enrollment (October 15 – December 7) or pay out-of-network rates at Butterworth, Blodgett, and all Corewell facilities. Corewell cited reimbursement rates insufficient to cover actual care costs.

What Happened

Corewell Health notified roughly 120,000 West Michigan seniors in late 2025 that it would exit the Priority Health Medicare Advantage market for 2026. Affected members were automatically disenrolled and had to pick a replacement plan during the Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7, 2025) or the Special Enrollment Period that followed.

If you or a family member missed the deadline or are still seeing Corewell providers without confirming coverage, check your plan card now — a mismatch between your insurer and your provider's accepted plans can result in full out-of-pocket billing.

Source: Corewell Health — Medicare coverage information

Who Is Affected

Priority Health Medicare Advantage members who received care at Spectrum Health / Corewell facilities — roughly 120,000 in West Michigan.
Members who did nothing during open enrollment were auto-moved to Original Medicare (Parts A & B), which has no cap on out-of-pocket costs.
Residents in the 49546, 49301, 49316, 49315 ZIP codes (Cascade, Ada, Byron Township, Caledonia) are in Corewell's primary service area.

If you're unsure of your current plan: call Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE or visit medicare.gov/plan-compare to see what you're enrolled in.

What to Do Right Now

Check your insurance card — is your insurer still Priority Health, or did it change?
Confirm your primary doctor still accepts your new plan. Call the office directly; online directories lag.
If you need prescription coverage, verify your drugs are on your new plan's formulary at medicare.gov/plan-compare.
If you're on Original Medicare with no supplement, consider a Medigap policy — open enrollment windows are limited after age 65.
Free local help: MMAP (Michigan Medicare/Medicaid Assistance Program) offers one-on-one counseling. Call 1-800-803-7174.

What to Watch

2027 Open Enrollment (Oct 15 – Dec 7, 2026): Next chance to switch plans without a qualifying event.
Corewell network changes: Watch for announcements about which insurers Corewell accepts in 2027 — the landscape may shift again.
Medicare drug price negotiation: 10 drugs now have lower negotiated prices for 2026. Check if your prescriptions are on the list.

Corewell Health dropped three Medicare Advantage plans — West Michigan seniors must re-enroll by January 1