Why millions of seniors have suddenly lost health care coverage

[IronLionZion]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/03/28/insurance-health-care-medicare-seniors/

Archive: https://archive.ph/jz0Dt

The privatized version of Medicare — Medicare Advantage — grew rapidly with perks like vision and dental care. In some regions options are dwindling.

At 70, landscape artist Anthony J. Petchkis lives with a host of health problems. There was the heart attack that sent him on an ambulance ride from his home in the mountains of New Hampshire to Portland, Maine, for an arterial stent. His cholesterol is stubbornly high. He has diabetes, gout and rheumatoid arthritis. He takes eight medications a day.

Until this year, he at least felt confident insurance would fully cover his medical bills, which he estimates run to several thousands of dollars a year. Then his Medicare Advantage plan dropped him.

“How am I going to pay all these things going into the future?” said Petchkis, who lives on about $24,000 a year from Social Security and the sale of the White Mountain landscapes he paints in his Conway studio. “Now I seem okay, but six months or a year from now, something really catastrophic could happen.”

Petchkis and thousands of other elderly people in New Hampshire lost their insurance and were forced to scramble for alternatives this year, part of a broader phenomenon as Medicare Advantage companies abandoned communities where their plans threatened profits or lost money. Hardest hit were a half-dozen rural states from New England to Idaho.

Are we great enough yet? MAGA!

Lots of personal stories and photos at link. I think I might like to live in a blue state when I'm old and retired.

[Norrrm]

1. They cannot revert back to real Medicare?

Yes but however comma......

[IronLionZion]

2. That would be socialism, which takes away our freedoms.

[Ms. Toad]

10. They do revert back to unadorned Medicare

But that leaves them with the annual deductible (no big deal), and 20% of the remainder of the allowed amount, with no cap on how big that 20% can be. So if you are hit with a 50,000 hospital bill (not too unrealistic) you will owe $10,000. A 1,000,000 bill - $200,000. Those will get written down some by Medicare, since you are only responsible for the allowed Medicare amount - but you get the idea.

You may not be able to get a Medigap/Supplement plan (the other part of traditional Medicare). There is no guaranteed issue past your 65th birthday for most people (so you may not be able to get one), and if they choose to offer one, you may have to pay a small fortune to get it unless you are in perfect health because they can take your personal health into account.

[Timewas]

3. Advantage plans

Are phony as hell, straight Midicare is great, there are add ons that do a lot..Beats the hell out of advantage plans.

[PatSeg]

7. I totally agree

Those stinking vultures are doing all they can to get their hands on our Medicare funding. Meanwhile, regular Medicare is a very well managed program and I am rarely ever surprised by anything they do. Any additional coverage should be administered by Medicare - they know how to do it and they do it much cheaper.

[mountain grammy]

12. United Healthcare canceled me

I’m happily back on Medicare with a high deductible supplement ($3000) for $69/month and a free drug plan that I got through Medicare.

[leftstreet]

4. Abolish Medicare Advantage

Last edited Sat Mar 28, 2026, 09:27 PM - Edit history (1)

There should be NO for-profit alternatives to the original Medicare program

Advantage is spending all its profits on fraud lawsuit settlements anyway

[Sweet Rosie Red]

5. Here in Minnesota, we had an insurance company withdraw from the market.

My friend had a choice: he could go into another MA plan or he could go into a Medigap as a guaranteed issue. That’s mandatory acceptance without regard to medical status. He eventually chose Medigap due to a couple of very expensive health conditions, but it is costing him a very painful $400 a month, in addition to the Part B premium and a Part D plan. Monthly cost in premiums is ~ $650 monthly! Some “choice”, for all of us Boomers, right?

[progree]

13. I've been on traditional Medicare + Medicare Supplement (Medigap) since the beginning of when I went on Medicare

I met the deadline for getting guaranteed issue Medigap without having to answer health questions or get an exam

My premiums this year, per month:

$203 Part B
$320 Medigap
$40 Part D (drug plan)
---------------------------
$563 total (per month)

I'm in Minnesota too.

So yes, Medicare is expensive. A lot of pre-Medicare-age people think it's free or nominal cost.

Going without the Medigap, to me, is river boat gambling (Traditional Medicare has limited hospital coverage, and Part B stuff is only 80% covered).

As we're seeing, Medicare Advantage is a form of river-boat-gambling too.

[Norrrm]

6. Insurance is meant to spread the risk over a large pool, including good and bad customers.

Insurance is meant to spread the risk over a large pool, including good and bad customers.
If you can subdivide into small pools, you can keep the cherries and throw out the pits.

[Envirogal]

8. It's expensive keeping us aging humans alive

[Morbius]

11. Yes.

If the powers that be cannot make money on you anymore, your continued existence is inconvenient. As long as you have some money, you are allowed to continue to exist until it runs out.

[not fooled]

9. And now the pukes are trying to wreck real Medicare via AI

implementing a "pilot program" to use AI to screen Medicare claims...in several states now including WA where I live...it's the camel's nose under the tent to start intervening in real Medicare and denying claims.

The idiots who vote puke must have a death wish.

[Jacson6]

14. Yeah, This happened to me.

I switched to Government Medicare and pray I won't be sick to get flooded with medical bills. He can look into Medicare Gap Insurance if he can afford it.