Tufts Medicare Preferred Changes
Published on: January 23, 2026
Tufts Medicare Preferred will no longer cover services provided by multiple primary care physician offices across Barnstable County, effective March 1, 2026, impacting between 1200-1300 patients.
What primary care practices are affected by this change?
All of Tufts Medicare Cape Physicians’ primary care practices are affected by this change. If you are a patient of any of these practices, you will need to take action to change to a new primary care practice that accepts Tufts Medicare Preferred or switch to a different insurance provider. The practices include:
- Brewster Medical Associates
- Cape Cod Medical Center
- Cape Cod Primary Care (offices in Hyannis & Osterville)
- Hass Family Medicine Cape Cod
- Prism Medical Associates
- Yarmouth Medical Center
Your next steps:
To maintain your relationship with your current primary care physician, you will need to take one of the following steps:
- Change your insurance coverage to another Medicare Advantage health plan – you should contact your primary care practice to understand what other Medicare Advantage plans they participate in. The only other Medicare Advantage plan vendor available on Cape Cod accepted by these providers is Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) of Massachusetts. Patients can change to one of the BCBS HMO or PPO plans.
- Change to original Medicare, and buy a supplement/Medigap, and buy a standalone Part D drug plan.
To keep Tufts Medicare Preferred as your insurance, you will need to:
- Find a new primary care physician to ensure that Tufts Medicare Preferred will continue to pay for your medical services.
- For PPO members, you can continue to see your current primary care physician at out-of-network costs. These costs may be higher.
For assistance with any of these steps, you can:
- Call Tufts Medicare Preferred Member Services at 800.701.9000 to understand your options.
- Contact your local Council on Aging to book an appointment with a SHINE Counselor or call the Cape Cod & Islands SHINE Regional Office at 508-375-6762.
What are the timeframes?
- Your primary care physician will remain “in network” through February 28, 2026, and any services rendered during that time will be covered. PPO members do have the option to continue seeing their primary care physician, but may incur higher out-of-network costs beginning March 1, 2026.
- Medicare allows a special open enrollment period for those enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan between January 1, 2026 – March 31, 2026. Please make note that your primary care physician will remain “in network” through February 28, 2026.
- Patients who are under the care of a provider who leaves the health plan network may be eligible to receive medically necessary continuing treatment for a period of time. Call Tufts Medicare Preferred Member Services (800.701.9000) with questions about coverage during this transition period.
What if I have Tufts Senior Care Options (SCO)? Am I impacted?
- SCO members are not impacted; Cape Physicians will remain in network for Tufts SCO only.
