Medicare Advantage vs. Traditional Medicare, Explained
Published . Updated .
Key takeaways
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When you sign up for the retiree health plan, the two options can present a financial puzzle. But cost is just one factor.
Directly affected
- No company is named in this report.
Indirectly affected
- XLV Health Care Select Sector SPDR
Health Care Select Sector SPDR: it holds health insurers and care providers. Linked by “medicare” (health insurers and care costs) in this story.
- IHF iShares U.S. Healthcare Providers ETF+8.1% 30d
iShares U.S. Healthcare Providers ETF: it holds health insurers and care providers. Linked by “medicare” (health insurers and care costs) in this story.
- UNH UnitedHealth Group+4.3% 30d
UnitedHealth Group (hospital and medical service plans): health insurers' costs move with medical prices and policy. Linked by “medicare” (health insurers and care costs) in this story.
- ELV Elevance Health+5.8% 30d
Elevance Health (hospital and medical service plans): health insurers' costs move with medical prices and policy. Linked by “medicare” (health insurers and care costs) in this story.
- CI The Cigna Group+7.0% 30d
The Cigna Group (hospital and medical service plans): health insurers' costs move with medical prices and policy. Linked by “medicare” (health insurers and care costs) in this story.
- CVS CVS Health-3.7% 30d
CVS Health (drug stores and proprietary stores): health insurers' costs move with medical prices and policy. Linked by “medicare” (health insurers and care costs) in this story.
Price reaction, T-5 to T+3
| Ticker | T-5 | T-3 | T-1 | T0 | T+1 | T+2 | T+3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XLV | -0.10% | +2.63% | base | +1.94% | after close | after close | after close |
| IHF | -0.35% | +2.37% | base | +0.77% | after close | after close | after close |
| UNH | +1.58% | +3.82% | base | +0.86% | after close | after close | after close |
| ELV | -2.83% | +2.03% | base | -1.79% | after close | after close | after close |
| CI | +0.61% | +4.01% | base | +0.66% | after close | after close | after close |
| CVS | +5.59% | -4.63% | base | +1.68% | after close | after close | after close |
Closing-price change versus T-1, the last close before the story. T0 to T+3 fill in after each market close. Prices: Alpaca IEX.
When you sign up for the retiree health plan, the two options can present a financial puzzle. But cost is just one factor.
Source: The New York Times
Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLV)
Across 3 earlier stories, Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLV) the next day averaged -1.07%. The largest gain was +1.85% and the largest drop was -2.53%, from 3 prices.
| Company | When | Average | Largest gain | Largest drop | Prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLV) | the next day | -1.07% | +1.85% | -2.53% | 3 |
Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLV) since this story, compared with the market
| Company | When | Move | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cigna Group (CI) | that day | +0.66% | final price |
| Cigna Group (CI) | three days earlier | +4.01% | final price |
| Cigna Group (CI) | five days earlier | +0.61% | final price |
| Cvs Health (CVS) | that day | +1.68% | final price |
| Cvs Health (CVS) | three days earlier | -4.63% | final price |
| Cvs Health (CVS) | five days earlier | +5.59% | final price |
| Elevance Health (ELV) | that day | -1.79% | final price |
| Elevance Health (ELV) | three days earlier | +2.03% | final price |
| Elevance Health (ELV) | five days earlier | -2.83% | final price |
| Ishares U.S. Healthcare Providers Etf (IHF) | that day | +0.77% | final price |
| Ishares U.S. Healthcare Providers Etf (IHF) | three days earlier | +2.37% | final price |
| Ishares U.S. Healthcare Providers Etf (IHF) | five days earlier | -0.35% | final price |
| Unitedhealth Group (UNH) | that day | +0.86% | final price |
| Unitedhealth Group (UNH) | three days earlier | +3.82% | final price |
| Unitedhealth Group (UNH) | five days earlier | +1.58% | final price |
| Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLV) | that day | +1.94% | final price |
| Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLV) | three days earlier | +2.63% | final price |
| Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLV) | five days earlier | -0.10% | final price |
Congressional trades in the stocks in this story
- Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar sold Unitedhealth Group (UNH), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 24 Sep 2026. That is 45 days before publication. Filed 7 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Kevin Hern sold Unitedhealth Group (UNH) (jointly held), worth $15,001 - $50,000 on 23 Sep 2026. That is 46 days before publication. Filed 13 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Kevin Hern sold Unitedhealth Group (UNH) (jointly held), worth $15,001 - $50,000 on 10 Sep 2026. That is 59 days before publication. Filed 25 Sep 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Rohit Khanna sold Cigna Group (CI) (held by a spouse), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 25 Sep 2026. That is 44 days before publication. Filed 7 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Rohit Khanna bought Cigna Group (CI) (held by a dependent child), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 11 Sep 2026. That is 58 days before publication. Filed 7 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Rohit Khanna bought Cigna Group (CI) (held by a spouse), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 4 Sep 2026. That is 65 days before publication. Filed 7 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Rohit Khanna sold Cvs Health (CVS) (held by a spouse), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 4 Sep 2026. That is 65 days before publication. Filed 7 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Rohit Khanna sold Cvs Health (CVS) (held by a spouse), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 24 Aug 2026. That is 76 days before publication. Filed 4 Sep 2026. View the filing.
Public disclosure filings, not a recommendation. The filing link is the source document. News use of these reports still sits under 5 U.S.C. § 13107(c).
Who is named in “Medicare Advantage vs. Traditional Medicare, Explained”
Companies carried with this story
- XLV Select Sector Spdr Tr
Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLV) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence in the 8 Nov 2026 story “Medicare Advantage vs. Traditional Medicare, Explained.” Reason on file: Health Care Select Sector SPDR: it holds health insurers and care providers. Linked by “medicare” (health insurers and care costs) in this story
- IHF Ishares U.S. Healthcare Providers Etf
For “Medicare Advantage vs. Traditional Medicare, Explained,” Ishares U.S. Healthcare Providers Etf (IHF) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: iShares U.S. Healthcare Providers ETF: it holds health insurers and care providers. Linked by “medicare” (health insurers and care costs) in this story
- UNH Unitedhealth Group
For “Medicare Advantage vs. Traditional Medicare, Explained,” Unitedhealth Group (UNH) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: UnitedHealth Group (hospital and medical service plans): health insurers' costs move with medical prices and policy. Linked by “medicare” (health insurers and care costs) in this story
- ELV Elevance Health
Elevance Health (ELV) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence in the 8 Nov 2026 story “Medicare Advantage vs. Traditional Medicare, Explained.” Reason on file: Elevance Health (hospital and medical service plans): health insurers' costs move with medical prices and policy. Linked by “medicare” (health insurers and care costs) in this story
- CI Cigna Group
In “Medicare Advantage vs. Traditional Medicare, Explained,” Cigna Group (CI) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: The Cigna Group (hospital and medical service plans): health insurers' costs move with medical prices and policy. Linked by “medicare” (health insurers and care costs) in this story
- CVS Cvs Health
In “Medicare Advantage vs. Traditional Medicare, Explained,” Cvs Health (CVS) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: CVS Health (drug stores and proprietary stores): health insurers' costs move with medical prices and policy. Linked by “medicare” (health insurers and care costs) in this story
How “Medicare Advantage vs. Traditional Medicare, Explained” reaches Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLV)
Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLV) is the company in “Medicare Advantage vs. Traditional Medicare, Explained,” the 8 Nov 2026 this story story.
For Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLV), the reason on file says Health Care Select Sector SPDR: it holds health insurers and care providers. Linked by “medicare” (health insurers and care costs) in this story
A second company, Ishares U.S. Healthcare Providers Etf (IHF), is listed for a different reason: iShares U.S. Healthcare Providers ETF: it holds health insurers and care providers. Linked by “medicare” (health insurers and care costs) in this story
The price range for Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLV), and the dates in the story
IHF traded between 54.17 and 60.46 across 19 sessions. The latest close on file is 59.98. UNH traded between 372.90 and 426.47 across 20 sessions. The latest close on file is 394.22.
A simple score for Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLV)
46 out of 100
“Medicare Advantage vs. Traditional Medicare, Explained” scores 46 out of 100. The score uses 1 sources, and 6 linked companies.