BUZZ - Health insurance stocks fall after UnitedHealthcare and Aetna announce their 2027 insurance plans

October 1 - ** U.S. health insurance company stocks fell after several companies, including UnitedHealthcare (UNH.N) and Aetna, a subsidiary of CVS Health (CVS.N), announced their design plans for the 2027 "Medicare Advantage" program

** Shares of UnitedHealthcare and CVS each dropped nearly 1%, closing at $363.22 and $84.95, respectively; Elevance Health ELV.N fell 2% to $380.72; Humana HUM.N declined by about 1% to $378.89

** UnitedHealthcare and Aetna stated that they intend to restrict access to providers for existing members of their government-supported Medicare Advantage (MA) plans targeting adults aged 65 and above and people with disabilities in 2027

** Humana said that next year it will offer insurance plans in more than 80% of U.S. counties, down from 85% in 2026

** JPMorgan analysts pointed out that as insurers enter the annual enrollment period, Medicare Advantage (MA) plan reimbursement rates have not kept pace with rising medical costs. This has led companies to prioritize profit margins over membership growth, resulting in benefit cuts and market exits

** Including intraday fluctuations, UNH is up about 10% year-to-date, CVS about 7%, ELV about 9%, and HUM about 48%

(To facilitate non-English speakers, Reuters provides automated translations of its reports into several other languages. Automated translations may contain errors or lack necessary context. Reuters does not guarantee the accuracy of automated translations and provides them solely for reader convenience. Reuters accepts no liability for any harm or loss arising from use of the automated translation function.)