Lewiston-based insurance company pulled Asotin MedAdvantage plans, citing growing financial pressure

At least several hundred customers in Asotin County lost access to their Medicare Advantage plans through Regence BlueShield of Idaho this year.

Rick Woods, an insurance broker based in Lewiston, said he and his team met with hundreds of Asotin County Medicare Advantage customers before the open enrollment date to help them get informed and switch to different plans.

A representative for Regence BlueShield of Idaho, which was founded in Lewiston, said the provider decided to pull its Medicare Advantage Plan from the county due to increasing financial pressure that is expected to continue because of increased use and changing regulatory policies.

“These headwinds have necessitated adjustments to some of our existing plans and service areas so we can remain financially sustainable for the long term,” wrote Lou Riepl, strategic communications manager.

Public records indicate that last year, among all carriers, roughly 4,750 Asotin County residents were enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, Riepl said.

Though Regence pulled its Medicare Advantage plans, the total number of insurers offering Medicare Advantage plans in Asotin County increased from three in 2024 to five in 2025.

Regence also discontinued Medicare Advantage plans in 10 Idaho counties. Riepl said the company worked with impacted members and local insurance brokers to help them transition to other coverage options.

Paul Emerson, a retired managing editor for The Lewiston Tribune, said he switched to a Medicare Advantage plan by Wellcare, a subsidiary of Mutual of Omaha, after Regence dropped his plan for Asotin County.

Wellcare required Emerson to switch two of his prescription medications, Emerson said.

“Since I’ve made the change, my medical condition has been out of whack and I can’t get it back within (the) norms,” he said.

There is an appeals process, Emerson said, but it requires a patient’s doctor to take extra time and effort to fill out and submit paperwork. Emerson said he has also struggled to get timely answers about what is and isn’t covered from his new insurance carrier.

Woods said he’s heard similar complaints from other Medicare Advantage customers who had to switch from Regence.

“We were spoiled with Regence,” he said. “We’ve had our eyes opened.”

The switch also meant three of Emerson’s current providers — an eye doctor, dentist and pharmacy — are all out-of-network. That includes one procedure with a specialist that is more than $500 every six weeks.

“The only alternative to that is to go to Spokane, and I don’t know if they would accept (my insurance) either,” Emerson said.

Tim Gleason, a Lewiston insurance broker for American Insurance, said he also had hundreds of clients who had to switch to another plan.

“(Regence) made a business decision from a cost-effectiveness standpoint,” he said.

While customers always have the option to switch back to a Medicare Supplement plan, the cost can be significantly more.

Medicare Supplement Plan G, the most popular Medicare Supplement plan, can cost anywhere from $200-$250 per month in Washington, Gleason said, while Medicare Advantage is typically under $100 per month and covers more types of care.

“When people are on Social Security, that’s a big chunk,” he said.

The average monthly Social Security check as of January 2025 was $1,976, according to the Social Security Administration.

“We’re lucky enough that we have the finances to deal with that kind of stuff,” Emerson said. “If they don’t cover it, we’ll just go to Costco and buy it over the counter. But I worry about these people (who rely on Social Security).”

People 65 and older account for roughly 26% of all Asotin County’s roughly 22,500 residents, according to the Census Bureau.