If your dental practice treats Medicare Advantage patients, 2026 will bring some of the biggest changes we’ve seen in years—especially with Aetna. While insurers have been quietly tightening networks and trimming benefits, Aetna’s most recent move will directly affect how dental providers can participate in its Medicare Advantage network.
Aetna’s Changes in a Nutshell
Nearly 90 Medicare Advantage plans across 34 states are expected to be discontinued in 2026, with most being PPO options.
Careington has begun sending letters to dental providers participating with Aetna through a Care Platinum PPO contract. These letters state that effective September 1, 2025, Aetna will no longer access Care Platinum PPO providers for their Medicare Advantage plans. This further limits network access options for providers and underscores the importance of early planning.
Right now, many dental providers can pick up Aetna Medicare Advantage plans through other lease agreements—but that will no longer be an option. This means that practices relying on secondary lease networks to participate in Aetna’s MA plans will lose that pathway entirely. Starting September 1, 2025, the only available participation options will be either direct contracting through Aetna PPO or through Connection Dental.
Why This Matters for Your Practice
If you see a substantial number of Medicare Advantage patients, these changes could impact:
👉 Patient retention – losing network status could push loyal patients to find new in-network providers.
👉 Reimbursement flow – shifting from a lease network to a direct PPO contract can change your fee schedule.
👉 Administrative overhead – navigating multiple credentialing processes and contract renegotiations.
The takeaway: You don’t want to wake up in 2026 with gaps in your Medicare Advantage participation.
Action Plan for Dentists and Office Managers
At PPO Advisors, we recommend you start planning now. Here’s how:
1. Run a Medicare Advantage patient analysis – Identify how many of your active patients are enrolled in Aetna MA plans—and how they currently connect to your office (direct contract, Connection Dental, or another lease).
2. Evaluate your network access points – If you’re connected through a lease that won’t be valid in 2026, you need to explore switching to a direct PPO contract or moving through Connection Dental.
3. Stack contracts where possible – Strategic stacking can preserve participation, protect patient access, and minimize revenue disruption.
4. Assess potential reimbursement changes – Different access paths mean different fee schedules—understanding these shifts early helps you avoid unpleasant surprises.
5. Develop a 2026 transition plan – This includes re-credentialing timelines, communication to patients, and updating marketing materials.
How PPO Advisors Can Help
We specialize in helping dental practices navigate network disruptions before they become a crisis. For the 2026 Aetna changes, we can:
👉 Analyze the financial impact of losing your current lease arrangement.
👉 Recommend the best network strategy for retaining Medicare Advantage patients.
👉 Guide you through stacking contracts to maintain access without sacrificing profitability.
👉 Handle the paperwork and timelines so you can focus on patient care.
Bottom Line
Aetna’s 2026 Medicare Advantage network changes will reshape the playing field for dental providers. If you act early, you can preserve access for your patients, protect your revenue, and avoid the last-minute scramble that so many offices face when big insurers change the rules.
Let’s start your Medicare Advantage readiness plan now—because 2026 will be here before you know it.
By Shelley DeGroff, Founder of PPO Advisors