Presbyterian to drop most Medicare Advantage plans, cut 150 jobs

Presbyterian Healthcare Services is preparing a major shift that could scramble coverage for thousands of older adults in Bernalillo County and across New Mexico. The Albuquerque-based health system said it will discontinue most of its Medicare Advantage plans in 2027 and eliminate about 150 health plan and administrative positions, a move that affects a line of business used by many seniors who rely on Presbyterian doctors, hospitals and clinics.

The change does not affect 2026 coverage, and Presbyterian’s Medicare materials still show plan information, formularies, provider directories and enrollment details for next year. But the exit from most Medicare Advantage products means many members will have to compare options well before 2027, especially if they want to keep seeing Presbyterian physicians or using familiar facilities in Albuquerque and Central New Mexico.

Presbyterian said the plans being discontinued contributed to more than $59 million in losses in 2025. The organization has said it needs to preserve resources for care delivery, workforce needs and access for New Mexicans, and that the reductions do not include direct patient care jobs. Even so, the staffing cut is a meaningful blow for the health plan side of the business at a system that employs about 14,000 people.

The scale of the coverage disruption could be significant. One report based on Presbyterian materials put Medicare Advantage enrollment at about 60,000 members, while another estimate said roughly 30,000 members in New Mexico may be affected by the changes. Presbyterian Health Plan says it serves more than 582,000 members across Medicare Advantage, Medicaid and commercial and individual plans, and the broader health system says it serves one in three New Mexico residents through its clinics, hospitals and health plan.

For Bernalillo County, the stakes are practical and immediate. A Medicare Advantage switch can mean finding new doctors, rechecking prescription drug coverage and sorting out supplemental benefits all at once. That is especially disruptive for seniors who have built their care around Presbyterian’s network in Albuquerque, where the system has long been one of the state’s largest health care providers.

This is not the first time Presbyterian has pulled back from a money-losing line of insurance. The system exited New Mexico’s Affordable Care Act individual and family exchange plans in 2016 after losing $19.2 million on 35,000 exchange enrollees. It has also said it has served New Mexicans since 1908, and its recent community health work includes county-level assessments and implementation plans for central New Mexico and Bernalillo County.

The decision now lands at the intersection of patient access and local employment, reshaping both coverage choices for seniors and the workforce that supports Presbyterian’s insurance business.