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ROCHESTER, N.Y. \u2013 If you\u2019re a senior citizen on Medicare, keep a close eye on your mail. A number of health insurance companies are eliminating Medicare Advantage plans for 2026 and you may need take action to ensure you and your medications are still covered.<\/p>\n
Bob McMullen chose an Excellus BlueCross BlueShield Medicare Advantage plan years ago because the company is local. \u201cThey\u2019ve always had a good reputation, back in the 80\u2019s when I was at Kodak I had them,\u201d McMullen recalls. \u00a0\u00a0He has heart problems, so he relies heavily on prescription medications, \u201cI have an LVAD (Left Ventricular Assist Device) and take several medications in the morning and at night,\u201d McMullen explains.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why when he opened a letter from Excellus BCBS last week, he panicked, \u201cit said I was basically fired from BCBS\u2026I just was told I was done and then they gave me a two-page listing of other insurance I could get,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
McMullen isn\u2019t sure what he\u2019s going to do, \u201cI\u2019m going to go down to the VOC (Veterans Outreach Center) and see what kind of recommendations they have.\u00a0 I don\u2019t want to just jump on one because what if these people are just going to cancel too? I don\u2019t want to go from place to place filling out paperwork,\u201d he tells News10NBC.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Medicare Advantage, sometimes called Part C plans, are operated by private companies but receive funding from the federal government. They often include broader coverage, including prescriptions, than standard Medicare, and have a cap on annual out-of-pocket expenses.<\/p>\n
A spokeswoman for Excellus BCBS tells News10NBC, \u201cAcross the country, rising health care costs \u2013 especially for hospital services and prescription drugs \u2013 continue to put pressure on Medicare Advantage plans. In upstate New York, nonprofit health plans are also further challenged by issues with the Medicare wage index<\/a>.\u00a0 A 2023 change in how the federal government sets hospital reimbursement rates for Medicare has resulted in significant financial losses for nonprofit health plans in upstate New York.\u00a0 Excellus BlueCross BlueShield (Excellus BCBS), for example, is losing about $100 million annually because of this change and losses are projected to continue without corrective action by Congress.\u201d<\/p>\n McMullen needs to look for a new plan that he hopes will offer similar coverage for around the same amount of money that he\u2019s been paying monthly. \u201cIf it doesn\u2019t happen I don\u2019t know what I\u2019m going to do, I really don\u2019t but I know if I stop taking the medications I have, well\u2026 you\u2019re next interview you may be standing at a gravesite and that\u2019s how bad it is. And I\u2019m still doing fairly good so picture people who aren\u2019t,\u201d he says.\u00a0<\/p>\n Excellus BCBS isn\u2019t the only insurer who is scaling back its Medicare Advantage offerings, a number of other big named companies are too.<\/p>\n Excellus offers this advice if you need help finding an alternate plan:\u00a0<\/p>\n Visit medicare.excellusbcbs.com<\/a> for more information about our 2026 plans\u00a0Individuals can also use www.ExcellusForMedicare.com\/Rochester<\/a> which is specific to our 6-county Rochester region which\u00a0includes Monroe, Livingston, Ontario, Seneca, Wayne and Yates Counties.Get individual support by phone at 1-877-406-4821\u00a0<\/p>\n Or, https:\/\/www.medicare.gov\/basics\/get-started-with-medicare\/get-more-coverage\/joining-a-plan<\/a><\/p>\n Lifespan might also be able to assist: https:\/\/www.lifespan-roch.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n Current plans remain in effect through the end of the year. Medicare\u2019s annual open enrollment period, for patients to choose new plans for 2026, runs from October 15 through December 7.<\/p>\n *AI assisted with the formatting of this story. Click here<\/a> to see how WHEC News 10 uses AI*<\/p>\n