By Amina Niasse

(Reuters) -CVS Health said on Wednesday its Aetna insurance business will pull back its Medicare Advantage offerings next year, operating prescription drug plans in 100 fewer counties than 2025.

The company will provide plans in 43 states and Washington D.C. and 2,159 counties for 2026, down from 44 states and 2,259 counties in 2025.

CVS Health has the fourth-largest Medicare Advantage business for people aged 65 and older or with disabilities, following rivals UnitedHealth, Humana and Centene. The government pays private insurers to operate the plans.

(Reporting by Amina Niasse in New York and Mariam Sunny in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri and Jan Harvey)

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