Medicare’s open enrollment period began on Oct. 15 amid ongoing volatility in the state’s health insurance market.

A combination of rising costs and fewer Medicare Advantage insurers is prompting an unprecedented number of Minnesotans to review their options for 2026.

“We are getting about 2,000 calls a day, and normally we get about 200 to 300,” said Kelli Jo Greiner, Medicare product manager for the Minnesota Board on Aging.

More than 1 million Minnesotans are beneficiaries of Medicare, a federal health insurance program for people age 65 and older. Some younger adults with long-term disabilities also qualify. Significant changes to Medicare are expected in 2026, so selecting the right plan may require extra time and consideration.

“This is not the year to sit idly by and just expect

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