Sentara, Aetna Partnership to Expand Virginia Access
Virginia's Medicare Advantage and Medicaid patients will gain full access to Sentara's system starting January 1, 2027.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Healthcare
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Sentara Health's Acute and Ambulatory Divisions are rolling out an expanded partnership with Aetna, giving Aetna Medicare Advantage and Aetna Better Health of Virginia Medicaid members full access to Sentara's providers, hospitals, and sites of care across the system beginning January 1, 2027. Sentara is also in-network for Aetna commercial members.
Why it matters
Sentara says the partnership is an important step toward filling insurance coverage gaps for Virginians, which matters for health systems and insurers planning contracted network capacity and patient volume. The agreement sets the terms under which Virginia's Medicare Advantage and Medicaid enrollees can access one of the state's large systems.
The agreement takes effect January 1, 2027, and covers Aetna Medicare Advantage and Aetna Better Health of Virginia Medicaid members across Sentara's full system. The source does not give member counts, reimbursement terms, or prior-year comparisons for the expanded network.
The players
Sentara Health
Sentara Health is a Virginia-based health system operating hospitals, physician practices, and ambulatory sites across the state.
Aetna
Aetna is a major health insurer offering Medicare Advantage, Medicaid managed care through Aetna Better Health of Virginia, and commercial plans.
The details
Under the agreement, Aetna Medicare Advantage and Aetna Better Health of Virginia Medicaid members gain full access to Sentara providers, hospitals, and sites of care across the entire system, rather than a narrower set of facilities. Sentara is also in-network for Aetna commercial members, so the arrangement covers multiple Aetna product lines. Sentara describes the expansion as a way to address coverage gaps for Virginians.
Timeline
January 1, 2027: Expanded Sentara-Aetna partnership takes effect.
Market Landscape
The deal extends an existing in-network relationship, since Sentara is already in-network for Aetna commercial members, into Medicare Advantage and Aetna Better Health of Virginia Medicaid plans. It fits a pattern in which health systems and insurers negotiate network breadth product line by product line.
Virginia healthcare operators should review how Sentara's expanded network affects patient referral patterns and staffing for Medicare Advantage and Medicaid volume. Practices and vendors serving these Aetna product lines should plan for changes in patient flow ahead of the January 2027 effective date.
The takeaway
Operators in Virginia's healthcare sector should calendar January 1, 2027 and monitor how Medicare Advantage and Medicaid patient flows shift as the agreement takes effect. Tracking referral volume and network-status changes will show whether the expanded access alters demand for affected service lines.
What happens next
The expanded partnership takes effect January 1, 2027, when Aetna Medicare Advantage and Aetna Better Health of Virginia Medicaid members gain full access to Sentara's system.
Further reading
For broader context on how these contracts shape care access, see more Healthcare coverage news across the Virginia market.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WAVY-TV 10 Hampton Roads.
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