Changes are coming for thousands of Minnesotans regarding Medicare Advantage health insurance plans

MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is warning Medicare recipients nationwide about upcoming changes to the health insurance program. Several health care providers will no longer accept certain Medicare Advantage plans, affecting nearly 60,000 of the 600,000 Minnesotans enrolled in Medicare Advantage, according to the Attorney General’s Office.

“Nearly 600,000 Minnesotans rely on these Advantage plans, but this year, several health care networks in Minnesota have chosen not to participate,” Ellison said during the Zoom press conference on Monday afternoon. “This means that Medicare Advantage plan enrollees will see significantly higher out-of-pocket costs for services at these providers or worse, their services at those providers will not be covered at all. “

While Medicare provides basic health insurance for adults through the federal government, Medicare Advantage is a type of health plan offered by private companies. It combines basic Medicare coverage with additional benefits, often providing comprehensive coverage but limited coverage to select doctors and hospitals, according to the Attorney General’s Office.

The Medicare open enrollment period for 2025 ends on Dec. 7. Government officials suggest using this tool to find a plan to conduct research in various ways.

Ellison said more than a million Minnesotans are enrolled in Medicare and encouraged families to gather over the Thanksgiving break to research and discuss different plans. “There will be changes, and these things should be discussed with the family,” he added.

Health care providers Allina, Avera, Essentia, M Health Fairview, North Memorial and Sanford will no longer accept insurance plans through Humana under Medicare Advantage. M Health Fairview also will not accept Aetna, and Mayo Clinic will not accept HealthPartners.

Allina released a statement saying it does not apply to Humana pharmacy plans or member retirement plans.

The full statement reads:

We negotiated in good faith with Humana several months ago to remain a participating provider in their Medicare Advantage network. Unfortunately, Humana was unwilling to agree to a new, fairer contract. Effective Sunday, January 1, 2025, Allina Health will no longer be part of Humana’s Medicare Advantage network. This change does not apply to Humana pharmacy plans or retiree plan members.

We continue to communicate with our patients about their options for maintaining access to the quality care, providers and services they have come to expect from Allina Health.

We encourage patients to visit allinahealth.org/mycare to learn more and view the list of Medicare Advantage insurance plans that will be in network with Allina Health in 2025.

According to the Attorney General’s Office, “providers have given various reasons for not accepting certain Medicare Advantage plans.” Those reasons include low fees that do not cover the cost of care or timely delivery and plans to deny services that providers believe are necessary.

LinkAge Line Medicare senior product manager Kelli Jo Greiner said she expects enrollment numbers in 2025 to change dramatically as a result of these changes. Many people have built relationships with their providers over the years and would not want to leave their provider, he added. “I think what we’re going to see is an increase in some Medicare Advantage plans and a decrease in others because of this problem with the provider network.”