Sarah M. London, Chief Executive Officer at Centene | Centene
Wellcare, the Medicare brand of Centene Corporation, will expand its Medicare Advantage (MA) and Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) offerings in 2026. The company announced that its Medicare Advantage plans will be available to more than 51 million beneficiaries across 32 states, covering over 1,850 counties. Wellcare’s PDP products will continue to be available nationwide, serving more than 8 million members in all 50 states.
The company is adding 51 new counties to its service area, focusing on coverage for individuals eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid, also known as dual eligibles. Wellcare is also enhancing its Spendables card, which provides eligible members with preloaded funds for various health-related expenses at more than 66,000 retailers.
As part of regulatory changes phasing out the Medicare-Medicaid Plans (MMPs) under the Financial Alignment Initiative, Wellcare will transition its MMPs to integrated Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) in five states: Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, South Carolina, and Texas. This move is intended to streamline care for members who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid by providing a single plan that covers benefits from both programs.
“We are deeply committed to offering a diverse range of plans that support our members' health and wellbeing,” said Wellcare Chief Executive Officer, Michael Carson. “We're especially excited about the continued growth and integration of our dual-eligible plans, in collaboration with our federal and state partners, which help us better serve individuals who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. Supporting the health of our aging population isn't just a priority – it's a responsibility. These offerings reflect our dedication to delivering quality care, improving health outcomes and creating a seamless experience for some of the most vulnerable populations in our communities.”
Wellcare’s transition to D-SNPs will begin January 1, 2026, in eight states: Arizona, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, South Carolina, and Texas. Members currently enrolled in MMPs in five of these states will be automatically moved to the new integrated D-SNPs.
To support its growing membership base, Wellcare is investing in digital tools such as onboarding videos available in multiple languages—including Spanish, Vietnamese, Russian, Tagalog, Chinese (Traditional), Chinese (Taiwan), Chinese (Hong Kong), and Korean—and frequent member surveys aimed at improving service delivery.
For 2026 MA plans, Wellcare offers options with predictable copays and additional benefits. These include $0 or low copay primary care visits on all plans; behavioral health support through Dario's digital resources; insulin costs capped at $35 or 25% of negotiated price per month; $0 cost-sharing for certain adult vaccinations; out-of-pocket Part D drug costs capped at $2,100 annually; access to over 60,000 pharmacies including Walgreens and CVS; preferred mail-order pharmacy services via Express Scripts Pharmacy; rewards for preventive health actions; and coverage for various preventive screenings.
Prescription Drug Plans will continue nationwide with two products—Classic and Value Script—available across all regions. The Value Script plan maintains one of the lowest premiums nationally while the Classic plan remains below benchmark rates set by CMS in all regions.
The annual enrollment period runs from October 15 through December 7 each year. Coverage begins January 1 for those who enroll during this window.
More information about Wellcare’s MA plans can be found at WellcareNow.com or about PDP offerings at pdpwellcare.com.
Centene Corporation consolidated its Medicare brands under Wellcare beginning January 1, 2022.
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