While over half of American seniors have traded original Medicare for the "perks" of private Medicare Advantage plans, Alaska remains the nation’s sole outlier. In 2026, it is the only state where individual Medicare Advantage plans are completely unavailable for general enrollment. This isn't due to state law, but rather a unique clash of geography and economics: in a state with among the highest care costs in the U.S., private insurers have found it impossible to build the low-cost provider networks that make the Advantage model profitable.
There were attempts in 2022 and 2023 to introduce individual plans in certain zip codes, but they were withdrawn by 2024 due to low enrollment and limited networks.
