Aetna Is Leaving the Marketplace — Here’s How to Find the Right Plan for 2026

As you may have heard, Aetna is exiting the Marketplace (healthcare.gov) for the 2026 plan year. If you currently have an Aetna Marketplace plan, you’re covered through the end of this year — but we’ll need to help you switch to a new plan for next year.

The biggest factor when choosing a new plan?👉 Making sure your doctor and hospital are in-network.

Step 1: Talk to Your Doctor

We recommend meeting with your doctor or calling their office to ask:

• What Marketplace plans will you accept in 2026?

• Are you contracted with SelectHealth, University of Utah Health, or Regence BlueCross BlueShield?

• Be sure to check with your family doctor, pediatrician and any specialists you see throughout the year.

You can also search doctor networks online:

• SelectHealth Provider Search

• University of Utah Health Provider Search

• Regence BlueCross BlueShield Provider Search

Step 2: Understand the Carrier Options in Utah

Here’s a quick guide to the major carriers on the Marketplace for 2026:

• SelectHealth → Includes Intermountain Healthcare (IHC) hospitals and doctors. They have 3 networks on the Marketplace including Signature, Value and Med. The Signature network has limited doctors in Utah and Salt Lake county. The Value network has most SelectHealth doctors in northern Utah. The Med network is the largest network with doctors in Utah, and parts of Idaho and Nevada.

• University of Utah Health → Includes U of U hospitals and MountainStar facilities. They have 2 networks on the Marketplace including Premier and Plus. The Premier network covers all of Utah and the Plus network covers some zip codes in Salt Lake county.

• Regence BlueCross BlueShield → Includes U of U and MountainStar hospitals. They have the Individual Family network that covers Utah, Idaho and parts of Washington and Oregon. The Individual Family network is the most popular choice because of the large amount of doctors and hospitals covered. They also have the SaveWell network that is limited to the Salt Lake area with a small amount of doctors and hospitals.

If you want to stay within the same hospital network as you have now with Aetna, you’ll need to look at University of Utah Health or Regence BlueCross BlueShield. SelectHealth is a strong option if you want access to IHC hospitals and providers.

Step 3: Get Help From a Local Expert

Our team at Utah Avenue Insurance is already preparing to help Aetna clients switch plans. We will:✅ Review your doctor and hospital preferences✅ Look at your medications and check formularies✅ Help you compare costs and benefits across carriers✅ Make sure you have continuous, uninterrupted coverage

If you’re not a current client, reach out now! We’ll put you on our priority list so we can help you the moment new plans and rates are available.

Don’t wait until the last minute — let us do the homework for you.

Better coverage starts here!