Medicare Advantage plans in Maine are being canceled, but new ones are being offered
Shoshana Hoose, a 72‑year‑old retiree in Portland, received a surprise notice last week that her Martin’s Point Medicare Advantage plan would not be available for 2027. “Exactly how this is going to play out for me I have no idea,” she said. “I have a doctor’s appointment in January, and I don’t know who is going to be paying for it.” Her letter arrives amid Medicare’s open‑enrollment period, which began on Thursday and runs through Dec. 7, and it forces her to start the daunting task of finding a new plan.
Martin’s Point, the Portland‑based health insurer and provider, has announced that it will terminate 41,528 of its Medicare Advantage plans for 2027—about 63 % of its current offerings. That number places it 14th in the nation for the highest proportion of plan terminations by a single carrier, according to a recent edition of Medicare Market Insights. The insurer’s spokesperson, Steve Amendo, said that while some of its current plans are ending, new plans are being introduced to replace them. “While these members are enrolled in plans that won’t be offered in 2027, we have introduced new plans in their place, and are communicating directly with impacted members to help them understand their options and, where appropriate, enroll in a new Martin’s Point plan for 2027,” he wrote.
Amendo added that Martin’s Point will continue to sell Medicare Advantage plans in every county of Maine and that the company also offers primary and specialty care. He urged members who need assistance to contact the insurer, noting, “We recognize that changes to health plan coverage can raise questions for members, and we are committed to being there for them every step of the way.”
The cancellation trend is not limited to Maine. The Maine Bureau of Insurance reported that 49,297 Medicare Advantage plans will be discontinued statewide for 2027, including those offered by UnitedHealth Group and Centene Corporation. For context, around 40,000 plans were canceled in Maine in 2026. Nationwide, Medicare Market Insights estimates that nearly 3.2 million Medicare Advantage plans will be canceled for 2027.
Health policy consultant Mitchell Stein attributes the wave of cancellations to federal actions aimed at curbing Medicare Advantage overpayments. “The Biden administration cracked down on Medicare Advantage overpayments in 2023, working to recover improper payments,” Stein explained. “Insurers responded by canceling plans. They have cut back on benefits to bring their services more in line with traditional Medicare. The plans will likely offer fewer benefits or require more out‑of‑pocket charges for patients.”
Medicare Advantage plans differ from traditional Medicare by offering a more limited provider network and additional perks such as dental, vision and gym memberships. Insurers design these narrower networks to keep costs down, but the trade‑off can be reduced coverage options for enrollees.
For retirees like Hoose, the cancellations mean navigating a new set of options before the end of the open‑enrollment period. The Maine Bureau of Insurance and Martin’s Point have stated they will provide direct communication to affected members, but many are left uncertain about coverage for upcoming medical appointments and the financial responsibility that will shift as plans change.
