One million Americans will lose their health plans next year as CVS Health’s Aetna division confirms a complete exit from Obamacare marketplaces by 2026, triggering a major shakeup in 17 states.
As part of a major strategy pivot, CVS is pulling Aetna health plans from the Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchange in 2026, affecting customers across 17 states. That means millions of patients relying on Aetna through Obamacare will need to find new coverage this fall for the 2026 plan year.
What’s happening?
On May 1, CVS announced its Aetna division will exit the ACA marketplace altogether in 2026. The company cited growing healthcare costs and a focus on more profitable services as reasons behind the move.
“The company is best able to serve members through its other health benefit solutions,” CVS said in a statement.
Though Aetna’s ACA plans represent a small share of CVS Health’s total membership (just 1 million out of 27.1 million), it’s a serious blow to patients relying on affordable individual coverage through the ACA.
Here are the 17 states where members will lose coverage:
- Arizona
- California
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Maryland
- Missouri
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
Affected members will have to shop for replacement health plans when the 2026 enrollment period opens in late 2025.
More Store Closures Coming
This insurance exit comes as CVS is also closing more stores nationwide, including a confirmed shutdown of over 20 Arkansas locations.
Why Arkansas? A new state law, House Bill 1150, bans Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) like CVS Caremark from owning retail pharmacies. That conflict means CVS must divest or shutter stores to comply.
“It’s going to create pharmacy deserts and access problems,” warned CVS CEO David Joyner. “There’s over 300,000 people that we currently serve [in Arkansas].”
CVS has already closed 851 stores as part of a three-year plan to shrink its retail footprint by 900 locations. Another 270 stores will close by the end of 2025, bringing the total closures to nearly 12% of all CVS locations.
What’s Causing All This?
According to financial experts, it’s a mix of:
- Rising healthcare costs
- State-level regulations
- Evolving consumer behavior
- Trump-era pharmaceutical tariffs driving up drug costs
- A shift toward digital health and wellness hubs
CVS says it wants to focus more on “high-value care experiences” and has seen success through cost-saving measures and restructured leadership.
In Q1 2025 alone, CVS reported $1.8 billion in net income, signaling some financial stability, but it’s coming at the cost of customer coverage and physical access.
What Happens Next?
- Obamacare patients in 17 states will need to enroll in new health plans during the next open enrollment period
- Arkansas residents will lose CVS access starting January 2026 due to House Bill 1150
- Nationally, retail pharmacy access may worsen as more stores shut down
CVS says it remains committed to serving patients and expanding wellness offerings, but communities across the country, especially vulnerable ones, are likely to feel the impact.
