Nearly 37,000 Mainers are enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans that will be discontinued next year. The state Bureau of Insurance is urging consumers to enroll in other insurance plans by December to ensure they have coverage in January.
The upheaval in the market is causing an overwhelming demand for assistance, says Ann Shea, Medicare supervisor at the Eastern Area Agency on Aging in Brewer.
She says all of the agency's nearly 400 appointment slots for enrollment assistance were filled by mid-October.
"This is an enormous problem for people in the state," she says.
In a typical year, says Shea, a couple of the 40 or more plans that are offered in Maine might be discontinued or changed.
"One or two, maybe," Shea says. "This year, we have 10."
The bulk of the discontinued plans in Maine are from Martins Point, affecting 28,000 consumers.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Martin's Point said the Medicare Advantage market is experiencing "considerable disruption" both locally and nationally.
Insurers across the country are scaling back Medicare Advantage plans in response to higher medical costs, low reimbursements, and increased need for care.
Shea says the 2026 Medicare Advantage plans being offered in Maine appear to have reduced benefits and higher out of pocket costs. She encourages consumers to call 1-800-Medicare for assistance or visit the medicare.gov website.
