What Minnesota Medicare Advantage Members Need to Know as Plans Disappear

Each fall, people on Medicare receive a flood of mail about their health coverage, and much of it is easy to ignore. For many Minnesotans this year, though, that paperwork could be important.

Nearly 400,000 Minnesota residents are expected to lose their current Medicare Advantage plan for 2027, or about one-third of the state’s roughly 1.2 million Medicare Advantage enrollees.

Only a small number will be moved automatically to another plan. For most people, choosing new coverage will be up to them.

The Minnesota Attorney General’s office warned people not to wait until the last minute. Open enrollment ends on December 7.

Why insurers are backing away

Some of the state’s largest insurers, including Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, UnitedHealthcare and HealthPartners, are ending or reducing their Medicare Advantage offerings. Humana is also exiting Minnesota’s individual market entirely.

Insurers say higher costs are driving the decisions. Blue Cross says it has lost more than $500 million on Medicare over the past three years. Experts also point to lower federal reimbursements, higher prescription drug prices and increased use of health care services since the pandemic.

That does not make the situation easier for the people affected. It is the second year in a row that many Minnesotans have had to search for new coverage after insurers pulled back in parts of the state.

Rural counties face the biggest impact

People in Greater Minnesota are especially likely to be affected because options were already limited there. The Minnesota Board on Aging says 15 counties will have no Medicare Advantage plans at all in 2027:

• Aitkin
• Carlton
• Chippewa
• Cook
• Goodhue
• Koochiching
• Lake
• McLeod
• Meeker
• Mille Lacs
• Pine
• Rice
• Sibley
• Stevens
• Yellow Medicine.

Residents in those counties can still choose Original Medicare or a Medicare Cost plan.

In three counties, there will be only one option left. Crow Wing, Lake of the Woods and Wadena counties will have Original Medicare as the only choice next year.

What to do now and where to get help

If you or a family member has a Medicare Advantage plan, start by checking whether it is being discontinued. Look through any letters from your insurer or call the company directly.

Next, make sure your doctors, hospitals and pharmacies are covered under any plan you are considering. If your plan is ending, you may also qualify for a special enrollment period.

Help is available at no cost. Minnesota Aging Pathways, a service of the Minnesota Board on Aging, can help explain your options at 1-800-333-2433, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Wait times can be long during open enrollment, so it is smart to call sooner rather than later. You can also compare plans through Medicare’s Plan Finder tool or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE.

State officials say there is no reason to panic, but there is a need to act. The December 7 deadline will arrive quickly, and with the holidays approaching, now is the time to review the paperwork and make sure no one enters the new year without the coverage they need.