“Blue Cross continues to be the Medicare market leader in Minnesota, and we pride ourselves in having consistent and stable Medicare plans available across the state,” the spokesperson said in an email.
Bloomington’s HealthPartners, with more than 43,000 on the plans in Minnesota, will have Medicare options available, a spokesperson said. Medica, which enrolls about 50,000 Minnesotans on the plans, will continue to offer them in 2026, a spokesperson for the Minnetonka-based insurer said in an email, adding that it can handle an influx.
“There are more than 150,000 individuals who will now be looking for affordable, reliable health insurance for 2026,” the Medica spokesperson said. “For those who choose a Medica plan, our job will be to ensure that we are prepared to support their transition and provide them the coverage they need.”
A UnitedHealth spokesman previously told the Minnesota Star Tribune he couldn’t predict the impact of the insurer’s cuts in Minnesota, where about 94,000 people carry Medicare Advantage coverage with the company. Humana, a large insurer based in Kentucky, additionally has said it will cut down on Medicare Advantage options in some markets.
Greiner said, “We don’t know what that’s going to look like in Minnesota. We’re waiting to find out.”
While Medicare Advantage changes have occurred in the past, Greiner doesn’t believe an insurer has in recent years terminated their entire offering in the state. Greiner said the last massive disruption to Minnesota’s insurance market occurred when Medicare Cost Plans ended, affecting 245,000 Minnesotan beneficiaries in 2019.