NH State Representative Steven Smith

*On behalf of Commissioner Bettencourt*

Dear Legislative Partners and Friends,

As I have been cautioning for some time, the Medicare Advantage market is undergoing significant disruption that will impact many New Hampshire seniors. The full scope of this disruption is now clear, and yesterday afternoon the Insurance Department issued a statewide press release (https://www.insurance.nh.gov/news-and-media/new-hampshire-insurance-department-advises-consumers-prepare-2026-medicare-advantage) outlining the changes on a county-by-county basis.

The first wave of disruption occurred last fall, when Medicare Advantage carriers began reducing or eliminating plan offerings nationwide. Here in New Hampshire, more than 44,000 Granite Staters, over half of our state’s Medicare Advantage population, were affected. Many of you heard directly from anxious and understandably confused constituents at that time. Unfortunately, the disruption ahead will be larger in scope, impacting an estimated 77,000 New Hampshire seniors in 2026.

Two longstanding carriers—Anthem and Martin’s Point—will no longer offer Medicare Advantage plans in the state. In most counties, Aetna will also exit the market. Other carriers are reducing the number of plans they will offer or narrowing service areas, leaving fewer choices for beneficiaries. The effects will vary by county. For example:

• In Coös County, WellSense and Humana will be the only carriers remaining.

• In Carroll County, Humana will discontinue one of its plans, while Aetna withdraws entirely.

• In Belknap, Hillsborough, Merrimack, Rockingham, and Strafford Counties, Humana will introduce new plan options.

Even in counties where carriers remain, plan designs and provider networks will shift, requiring seniors to carefully review their choices.

Thanks to legislation you passed earlier this year, the Department now has greater visibility into carrier decisions. This has allowed us to put in place a robust communications and outreach strategy to ensure timely, accurate, and helpful information reaches consumers. Attached you will find a Frequently Asked Questions document designed to assist both constituents and legislators. It explains the causes of these disruptions, the steps seniors should take, the options available to them, and how they can obtain help.

Importantly, affected seniors will have a Special Enrollment Period to choose another Medicare Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare. Those returning to Original Medicare may also enroll in a standalone Part D prescription drug plan and, in most cases, exercise their guaranteed right to purchase a Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policy without medical underwriting.

While we have worked hard to anticipate the major issues, my team and I remain at your disposal as a direct resource. If your constituents reach out to you, please do not hesitate to direct them to us. We are committed to helping every Granite Stater navigate this transition with as little disruption as possible.

This will be a difficult stretch for many seniors, but with your partnership, we will work tirelessly to ensure that no one experiences a gap in coverage or a disruption in care.

Thank you, as always, for your steadfast support and collaboration on behalf of the people we serve.

DJ Bettencourt

Commissioner

New Hampshire Insurance Department

From NHDOT:

On Friday September 19^th we sent out plans and bid documents to the six contractors that responded to our initial outreach and met on site to review the scope of work.  Bids are due back this Friday 9/26.  Once the lowest bidder is selected, we will work with them to complete contract paperwork with goal of getting to G&C for approval, outside possibility of a late item on 10/1, but no later than 10/15 G&C.

As we’ve met with contractors and developed more detail plans there is more refinement now on scope, magnitude, and timeframes. With regard to traffic control, we will be maintaining alternating one-way traffic under signal control, as it has been all summer, throughout the work. There will be barrier set along the centerline where barrels are now and work will be done behind barrier staring at the bottom of the slope and working back up allowing maintenance of traffic as it has been to continue until the work is complete and two lane traffic fully restored.

Our goal is still to get it done before or as early in the winter as we can.  Original estimates to do the work were 8 – 10 weeks. With refinement of details and quantities, our construction personnel are estimating it may be 15 – 16 weeks extending into winter or bumping to the spring.   We’ll have to see when we get bids what the contractor can do but certainly it would be our goal to restore to two-lane traffic before the depths of winter if they can. The alternating one-way traffic as currently exists will be maintained throughout construction which will avoid/minimize travel impacts.  

Let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you,

Tim

Timothy Boodey, P.E.

NHDOT – Division of Operations