Health care is complicated—and often a bewildering inconvenience for consumers. Almost 90% of employers are seeking “bids” from health plans for employee health insurance this year (see Employer Health Care Costs Projected To Increase By 9.1% For 2026 Plan Year). And at the end of last year, several health insurers closed their Medicare Advantage plans in many counties, forcing Medicare beneficiaries to change plans (see Insurers Pull Medicare Advantage Plans In Some Regions Amid Rising Senior Healthcare Costs). Humana withdrew from almost 200 counties, UnitedHealthcare from 109 counties, and CVS/Aetna from 100 counties.

For Medicaid, the average length of a Medicaid health plan contract typically ranges from three to seven years (see …