Changes to Medicare Advantage plan offerings affect Montana seniors

Staff at the Flathead County Agency on Aging are encouraging seniors to take a look at their healthcare coverage as some Medicare Advantage plans are no longer being offered in Montana.

Plans dropping coverage in Flathead County include Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare Advantage, United Health Care and the Drug Plan called SilverScript by Aetna, according to Agency on Aging Director Carla Dyment.

“It’s important for everyone on Medicare to pay attention to their notices and make sure they are set up for their healthcare needs for 2027,” said Dyment.

The agency's State Health Insurance Assistance Provider staff have been helping people navigate how to choose a Medicare Advantage plan, also known as Medicare Part C, during the open enrollment period that began Oct. 15.

Medicare Advantage plans allow beneficiaries to receive their Medicare benefits from a private health insurer, according to KFF, formerly Kaiser Health News. Almost every plan includes an out-of-pocket limit for benefits covered under Parts A and B, and most offer additional benefits not covered by traditional Medicare, such as vision, hearing and dental.

There’s an additional open enrollment period for seniors who lost their Medicare Advantage plans this year. Dyment said the typical timeframe for people to look at their drug plan runs until Dec. 7, but affected seniors can choose coverage until Feb. 28, 2027.

There are some do-it-yourself tips on the Flathead County Agency on Aging website, but Dyment emphasized that everyone has their own healthcare needs to consider when looking at coverage options. Seniors should review their coverage and take account of their medications, preferred pharmacies and healthcare providers. The agency also advised seniors to try to sign up for a new plan by Dec. 7, as coverage typically begins Jan. 1.

Dyment said people can see all options through their Medicare.gov account.

“You can search plans by what medications you have, what your pharmacies are, who your providers are — because people want to make sure that if they choose a new plan their doctors and hospitals are in network and their drugs are going to be covered,” she said.

In Sanders County, Clark Fork Valley Hospital sent out a notice that it had not reached an agreement with an insurer that is marketing plans in the area. The notice advised Sanders County residents to be aware that if they purchased a Range Health/True West Medicare Advantage plan during open enrollment that Clark Fork Valley Hospital and our providers will not be in network with their plan in 2027.

“This means that if you seek care from our hospital and our providers you may not have coverage or you may incur additional out of pocket expenses, depending on the provisions of your plan,” the notice said.

However, Clark Fork Valley Hospital and Family Medicine Network continues to participate with Humana Medicare Advantage, which is being made available to Sanders County residents for 2027.

Logging into their Medicare.gov account can be a challenge for some seniors, Dyment said. Many people still do not have reliable access to the internet, so the outreach agency has partnered with Flathead County Library to use their computers.

“They are not trained [State Health Insurance Assistance Program] counselors, as in they're not going to help walk people through their coverage options, but they can help someone get onto a computer and they could help someone create an email. We sent the flyers over there, so they have some do-it-yourself tips available,” Dyment said.

The agency's State Health Insurance Assistance Program counselors are accepting appointments with seniors seeking guidance through Dec. 31. However, Dyment said spots are getting booked fast, and availability at the time of publication is mid-December. Those interested in setting up an appointment can contact the Flathead County Agency on Aging at 406-758-5730.

To learn more about Medicare Advantage plan options during open enrollment, visit the Flathead County Agency on Aging website at www.flatheadcounty.gov/department-directory/agency-aging/.

Reporter Taylor Inman can be reached at 406-758-4440 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.

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