Minnesota seniors seeking Medicare help are finding long call center waits

Minnesota’s primary Medicare helpline is reporting unusually high call volumes this month as a surge in health insurance questions has pushed average wait times to around 95 minutes.

Minnesota Aging Pathways has been fielding about 1,800 calls daily — roughly triple the volume seen last year — since Medicare open enrollment started Oct. 15. It runs through Dec. 7.

The numbers reflect challenges that seniors are facing due to shrinking options and higher costs in Minnesota’s market for Medicare Advantage insurance. Those health plans, which are sold by private insurance companies, currently cover more than 600,000 beneficiaries across the state.

The Medicare flux fits with broader health care cost pressures this fall, including rising costs for employer health plans and the chance of diminished federal tax credits for people under age 65 who buy their own coverage.

“The number of calls we’re receiving, and the subsequent wait times, has been like nothing we’ve ever seen,” said Kelli Jo Greiner, the Medicare program manager for the Minnesota Board on Aging.

Here are some tips for Medicare beneficiaries seeking assistance, as well as answers to common questions amid the turbulence.

Health insurers in Minnesota are eliminating certain Medicare health and drug plan options for 2026, mainly for financial reasons.

Other insurers including HealthPartners, Humana and UnitedHealthcare, are exiting certain counties across the state. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota will offer two fewer plans in five counties next year.

When insurers leave markets, enrollees need to find new coverage. Also, because many of the remaining Advantage plans are raising costs for next year, seniors in those plans might want to shop for a better deal.

Finally, some network issues have emerged with UnitedHealthcare and Humana that might prompt some beneficiaries to consider their options.

For people in the original Medicare program, some insurers have left the market for Medicare Supplement policies. And the state next year is losing a few “Part D” plans for drug coverage.

Minnesota Aging Pathways (until last month, it was known as the Senior LinkAge Line) offers free help over the phone at 1-800-333-2433. It’s open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Given the high demand this fall for assistance, she suggests seniors try the federal government’s helpline at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The federal government has online tools including the Medicare Plan Finder, which shows all options for Medicare Advantage plans.

With the Medicare Plan Finder, seniors can create a personal account and enter information on their prescription medications, which can be key to finding the best deal. Minnesota Aging Pathways has posted an online video explaining how to use it.

Independent insurance agents are another source of assistance. However, many insurance companies this fall have reduced or eliminated certain commissions that they typically pay agents to help seniors. As a result, many say they can’t provide as much assistance as they would in a normal year.

“We have not yet had to turn people away, but we are getting close,” said Shawnee Christenson, an insurance agent with Crosstown Insurance in New Hope.

While open enrollment runs through Dec. 7, some seniors have been reluctant to wait for one-on-one help, Christenson said, for available appointment slots at the end of November or into December.

“They are just too concerned about being left without anything,” she said.

No. Beneficiaries can always get coverage through the original Medicare program, which currently covers more than 500,000 people in Minnesota.

The problem with original Medicare is that when beneficiaries use health care, the government program doesn’t cover all costs. Seniors with expensive health care needs can rack up very large bills under original Medicare unless they purchase supplementary coverage.

Medicare Supplement policies, called Medigap for short, fill the gaps in coverage. But premiums typically are much higher than with Advantage plans.

This fall, about 158,000 seniors with UCare are scouting coverage options, because UCare is exiting the Advantage market as of Jan. 1. These beneficiaries have what’s called a guaranteed issue right to a Medigap plan, meaning they don’t have to answer questions about their health history.

The guaranteed issue right applies to what’s called a Basic Medigap supplement, plus any combination of riders that extend the coverage to things like hospital deductibles, according to the Minnesota Department of Commerce.

Thirteen different companies in Minnesota are selling Medigap plans, and Basic coverage is just one of several options. The Commerce Department has more information.

With Medicare, coverage for most medications is known as “Part D.”

It’s typically bundled into Medicare Advantage plans. People in original Medicare buy what’s called standalone Part D drug coverage, which is sold by private insurance companies.

Original Medicare provides access to nearly all doctors and hospitals. Insurers in a few Minnesota counties sell what are called Medicare Cost plans, which typically provide a very large choice of doctors and hospitals.

With Medicare Advantage plans, seniors need to be more careful about checking if a doctor or hospital is part of the insurance company’s network, meaning the health care provider has a contract to provide services to enrollees. In many cases, going to in-network health care providers is important for keeping out-of-pocket costs low.