SCAN Health Plan Announces 2026 Benefit Lineup

Not-for-profit Medicare Advantage plan, SCAN Health Plan, announced today its expanded benefit plans for 2026 in a news release. Upcoming savings include deals in pharmacy, dental and vision.

SCAN Health Plan is one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit Medicare Advantage plans. It serves Medicare beneficiaries across 33 counties in California, Arizona, Nevada, Texas, New Mexico and Washington.

Specific SCAN plan benefits for 2026 include:

• $0 copays for primary care providers and many specialists
• $0 copay for Tier 1 and Tier 2 prescription drugs
• Dental allowances ranging from $800 to $4,000 per year
• Some SCAN markets will offer increased annual allowances for essential goods such as over-the-counter items, groceries or utilities, with allowances ranging from $360 to $1,860 per year
• Vision coverage yearly allowances ranging from $175 to $1,000

SCAN will also partner with Careforth, a caregiver support organization, to offer Caregiver Advantage. This supplemental benefit for caregiver support will provide resources for family caregivers, 40% of whom report heightened stress from caregiving responsibilities, research shows. Approximately 53 million Americans provide unpaid family care, the equivalent of nearly $470 billion a year.

This announcement comes at a time when many major Medicare Advantage plans are planning to scale back or exit markets due to higher deductibles and out-of-pocket costs. Specialty medications, hospital admissions and post-acute care utilization have increased, adding financial strain. These could impact up to 1.8 million seniors in the United States in 2026.

“In a time when so much in our industry feels uncertain, SCAN remains a stable and consistent partner for older adults,” Sachin H. Jain, M.D., CEO of SCAN Group and SCAN Health Plan, said in the news release. “Our focus is on simplifying the healthcare experience by building reliable networks and a dynamic suite of benefits that make it easier for our members to get the care they need, when they need it.”

Regulatory oversight of prior authorization and marketing practices has grown, increasing operational complexity and prompting some large insurers to focus only on profitable markets.

UnitedHealthcare, the largest Medicare Advantage provider, recently announced it will drop plans in 109 U.S. counties in 2026, which is expected to impact approximately 180,000 members.

"The combination of (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) funding cuts, rising healthcare costs and increased utilization have created headwinds that no organization can ignore," Bobby Hunter, CEO of government programs at UnitedHealthcare, said in a news release.

Aetna, another major Medicare Advantage insurer, plans to discontinue nearly 90 Medicare Advantage plans across 34 states in 2026.

Most people become eligible for Medicare during the 7-month period that begins 3 months after the month they turn 65. This is called the Initial Enrollment Period.

The Original Medicare Open Enrollment period runs from October 15 to December 7 each year. During this time, anyone with Medicare can join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage Plan.

The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment period is only for current Medicare Advantage members. From January 1 to March 31, current members can drop Medicare Advantage and return to Original Medicare, or they can switch to another Medicare Advantage plan.