MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is warning Medicare recipients statewide about changes coming to the health insurance program. Several major healthcare providers will no longer accept certain Medicare Advantage plans, affecting roughly 60,000 of the 600,000 Minnesotans enrolled in Medicare Advantage, according to the Office of the Attorney General.
"Around 600,000 Minnesotans rely on these Advantage plans, but this year, a few health care provider networks in Minnesota have opted not to participate any longer," Ellison said during a Zoom press conference Monday afternoon. "This means that Medicare Advantage plan enrollees will see much higher out-of-pocket costs for services at these providers or even worse, their services at those providers won't be covered at all."
While Medicare offers basic health insurance for seniors through the federal government, Medicare Advantage is a type of health plan offered by private companies. It combines original Medicare coverage with additional benefits, often offering more comprehensive coverage but less flexibility in choosing doctors and hospitals, according to the Office of the Attorney General.
The Medicare open enrollment period for 2025 ends on Dec. 7. State officials suggest using this plan finder tool to research various options.
Ellison said more than one million Minnesotans are enrolled in Medicare and urged families gathering over Thanksgiving break to research and discuss various plans. "There will be changes, and these things should be discussed with family," he added.
Healthcare 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 will also not accept Aetna, and Mayo Clinic will not accept HealthPartners.
Allina released a statement saying that it doesn't apply to Humana's pharmacy plans or members of group retiree plans.
The full statement reads:
We negotiated in good faith with Humana over the past several months to remain a participating provider in their Medicare Advantage network. Unfortunately, Humana was unwilling to agree on a new, fair contract. Effective Sunday, Jan. 1, 2025, Allina Health will no longer be part of Humana’s Medicare Advantage network. This change does not apply to Humana’s pharmacy plans or members of group retiree plans.
We are proactively communicating with our patients about their options to maintain access to the high-quality care, providers and services they count on from Allina Health.
We encourage patients to visit allinahealth.org/mycare to learn more and view a list of Medicare Advantage insurance plans which will be in network with Allina Health in 2025.
According to the Office of the Attorney General, "providers have given a variety of reasons for no longer accepting specific Medicare Advantage plans." Those reasons include low reimbursements that do not cover the cost of care or arrive in a timely manner and plans denying services that providers believe are necessary.
Senior LinkAge Line Medicare product manager Kelli Jo Greiner said she anticipates enrollment numbers in 2025 to change dramatically because of these changes. Many people have established relations with their providers over years and will not want to leave said provider, she added. "I think what we are going to see is an increase in certain Medicare Advantage plans and a decrease in others as a result of this provider network problem."
