In a major shake-up to the health insurance landscape, CVS Health announced it will exit the individual health insurance market—commonly known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or “Obamacare”—starting in 2026. This decision directly impacts around 1 million people currently enrolled in Aetna ACA plans across 17 states.
The news broke alongside CVS’s first-quarter earnings report, which showed a hefty $1.8 billion in net income. While this sounds like a financial win, the company is in the middle of a strategic pivot, especially when it comes to controlling rising healthcare costs in its Aetna insurance business.
So why the exit? According to CVS, it’s part of a broader plan to “refocus the company’s portfolio.” In simple terms, they’re pulling back from areas where they’re less competitive—in this case, the ACA exchanges—to double down on other parts of the business where they believe they can offer stronger care and more stability.
You’ve probably gotten a spam call or two (or more if we’re being honest!) within your lifetime. Between bad actors in the Marketplace switching consumers from plan to plan and the rise of AI-assisted attacks, you are at risk of having your coverage compromised any time you pick up the phone. Educating yourself about these risks could save you from having your coverage switched after what seems like an innocent phone call.
As you apply for and enroll in coverage, be sure to consider the following:
Be suspicious of unsolicited phone calls from anyone asking about your coverage or other related information or offering to do a complimentary coverage check.
Do not provide personal information, including birthdates, unless you are certain of a person’s authority to have the information.
Scammers frequently use AI to get information from those they call by using voice cloning programs. These calls will sound exactly like they’re coming from someone you trust. If you ever get a strange call that sounds like it’s from someone you know, you should hang up and call the person at a number you know is theirs.
If you are ever unsure about the legitimacy of an unknown caller, you should reach out directly to your agent to verify.
If you respond to one of these calls and provide information, you should let your agent know as soon as possible so they can look for any changes to your policy or agent of record (AOR).
Call us at (520) 721-4848 if you have any questions.
