Treasury and Finance Intern

AAA: Time to evaluate Medicare coverage. Fri, Oct 2nd 2026 03:05 pm Medicare recipients are encouraged to review their plans with licensed Medicare advisors By AAA of Western and Central New York The Medicare annual enrollment period (AEP) begins Oct. 15 and ends Dec. 7. During this time, Medicare recipients are encouraged to determine if their health care needs have changed and prepare for any changes to their current plan in the new year. AAA recommends sitting down with a licensed insurance adviser to evaluate whether your current Medicare plan will change and if another plan might better meet your needs and budget. The Medicare plan selected during AEP will take effect Jan. 1, 2027. Current Medicare recipients should receive their plan's annual notice of change (ANOC) by the first week of October. This notice will review changes to the benefits and costs of their current Medicare plan for 2027. With more than 70 plans to choose from, entering the world of Medicare can lead to more questions than answers. Changes to Medicare plans can impact key aspects of healthcare, including choice of doctor, prescription drug coverage, and cost. Therefore, it is very important for recipients to review Medicare plan coverage options for 2027 to ensure that they are enrolled in a plan that best meets their health care needs. AAA's licensed Medicare advisers can guide individuals to ensure they receive adequate coverage. Medicare is the federal insurance program for people who are 65 or older or certain younger people with disabilities. AEP is the time of year when everyone who is Medicare-eligible can make changes to their plans. AAA partners with many different insurance carriers to offer a wide range of options so that recipients can maximize what their plan offers. Unlike many providers, AAA doesn't work for insurance carriers, so insurance agents can offer unbiased assistance to help recipients find a Medicare plan to meet their needs. Services are available to all Medicare-eligible individuals in the community, both AAA members and nonmembers alike. The public can learn more by visiting www.AAA.com/Medicare to schedule an appointment online or by calling 877-477-7120. AAA works with familiar carriers like Highmark, Excellus, Univera and Independent Health, offering more than 70 plans to tailor coverage to individual needs. Within the plans, Medicare has four main "Parts" that cover specific services. These are: - Part A for hospital insurance. This is for inpatient hospital stays, care in a skilled nursing facility, hospice care and some health care services. - Part B for medical insurance. This covers certain doctor's services, outpatient care, medical supplies, and preventative services. - Part C (Medicare Advantage) offers Medicare coverage through private insurance companies approved by Medicare. These plans include Part A and Part B coverage and often include additional benefits. - Part D for prescription drug coverage. Part D adds prescription drug coverage to original Medicare and Medicare-related plans. By calling, you agree that a AAA licensed insurance agent may contact you. AAA Insurance is provided through AAA Members Insurance Agency of Western & Central New York Inc., which offers products through AAA-affiliated companies and non-affiliated companies. Not affiliated with any government agency including Medicare. Wnypapers do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently Wnypapers represent 10-plus organizations which offer 70-plus products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.

Foodlink, Excellus team up for Hunger Action Month in Rochester. Tue, September 1, 2026 at 3:06 PM Updated Tue, September 1, 2026 at 3:35 PM Representatives from Foodlink and Excellus BlueCross BlueShield are pictured Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026, during a Hunger Action Month event at Foodlink's Curbside Market site on Lake Avenue in Rochester. (Photo by Matt Churpita/WHAM) Ask 13 WHAM anything How many stops does Foodlink's Curbside Market make weekly? Which organization committed to supporting the Curbside Market for three years? Why are rising food costs and SNAP cuts affecting families? Rochester, N.Y. - September is Hunger Action Month, and two Rochester-area organizations are teaming up to raise awareness about food insecurity and expand access to healthy food. Foodlink and Excellus BlueCross BlueShield kicked off the nationwide campaign Tuesday at Foodlink's Curbside Market on Lake Avenue. Foodlink said more than 155,000 people experience food insecurity across its 10-county service area. In Rochester's 14608 ZIP code, where Tuesday's event was held, more than 27% of residents experience food insecurity - double the regional average. "Foodlink's Curbside Market helps local residents stretch their dollars," Florence Clemmons, Foodlink's director of community-based strategies, said in a statement. "Our neighbors grapple with a high cost of food and gas, which ultimately impacts the food on their plate and the overall health of our community." The Curbside Market operates six days a week, making more than 50 stops at affordable housing sites, senior centers, health clinics and community centers. The mobile markets offer fresh produce and other grocery staples to thousands of shoppers each year. Excellus recently committed to supporting the program for another three years, with investments aimed at equipment, technology and infrastructure improvements. Foodlink said rising costs and changes to SNAP eligibility and work requirements have also caused thousands of local residents to lose food assistance. SPONSORED CONTENT MORE TO EXPLORE

Medicare Advantage plan members seek stronger patient advocacy, care coordination. Overall satisfaction with Medicare Advantage plans declines for second consecutive year. JD Power finds insurers deliver on operational fundamentals but struggle to build engagement and trust with Medicare Advantage members. TROY, Mich.-(BUSINESS WIRE)-Against a backdrop of rising financial pressures, narrower access to provider networks and prescription drug and outpatient care cost increases, Medicare Advantage plan members are looking for trusted partners to guide them through their healthcare journeys. According to the JD Power 2026 U.S. Medicare Advantage Study,(SM) only a select few health plans are delivering that level of partnership. Nationwide, overall member satisfaction with Medicare Advantage plans declines 12 points (on a 1,000-point scale) this year, and fewer than half (43%) of plan members say they strongly agree their plan is a trusted partner in their health and wellness. "Healthcare has grown increasingly complex and exceedingly costly, and Medicare Advantage plans are juggling these challenging market dynamics while trying to guide their members to the best outcomes," said Meaghan Hafner, senior director of healthcare solutions at JD Power."While some stand-out performers are driving improvements in member satisfaction despite the challenges, the majority of plans are struggling to build a strong sense of patient advocacy and trust among their members." Following are some key findings of the 2026 study: * Overall satisfaction with Medicare Advantage plans declines for second consecutive year: Overall customer satisfaction with Medicare Advantage plans is 611, down 12 points from last year and down 41 points from 2024, with declines across all dimensions of the member experience. The specific study dimensions showing the largest two-year declines in member satisfaction are Helping to Save Me Time and Money (-51 points), Level of Trust (-49 points) and Product/Coverage Offerings Meet My Needs (-47 points). * High-performing plans exceed in onboarding and communication: Two key areas where the highest-performing Medicare Advantage plans stand out are in new member onboarding and effective communication. Trust attributes rise sharply when members fully understand their plan. Among new members who say they understand their coverage very well, 34% feel their insurer helps prepare them for the unexpected, and 29% feel their insurer anticipates their needs. Among new members who say they do not understand their coverage, those rates are cut nearly half to 17% and 16%, respectively. * Special needs plans deliver stronger levels of member satisfaction: Special needs plans, which are designed for people with specific severe or disabling chronic conditions, those who live in an institution or those who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid, deliver significantly higher overall satisfaction and trust scores, illustrating how higher-touch support models, care coordination and personalized guidance can contribute to stronger member outcomes among populations with complex healthcare needs. Study rankings. Kaiser Permanente ranks highest in overall satisfaction with Medicare Advantage plans in California for a third consecutive year, with a score of 665. SCAN Health Plan (656) ranks second. UnitedHealthcare ranks highest in overall satisfaction with Medicare Advantage plans in Florida, with a score of 621. Humana (620) ranks second and Freedom Health (619) ranks third. UnitedHealthcare ranks highest in overall satisfaction with Medicare Advantage plans in Georgia for a third consecutive year, with a score of 656. Aetna Medicare (628) ranks second. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois ranks highest in overall satisfaction with Medicare Advantage plans in Illinois for a second consecutive year, with a score of 638. UnitedHealthcare (629) ranks second. Humana ranks highest in overall satisfaction with Medicare Advantage plans in Kentucky, with a score of 625. UnitedHealthcare (606) ranks second. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan ranks highest in overall satisfaction with Medicare Advantage plans in Michigan for a second consecutive year, with a score of 676. Excellus BlueCross BlueShield ranks highest in overall satisfaction with Medicare Advantage plans in New York for a fourth consecutive year, with a score of 618. Healthfirst (611) ranks second. UnitedHealthcare ranks highest in overall satisfaction with Medicare Advantage plans in North Carolina for a third consecutive year, with a score of 645. Humana (637) ranks second. Aetna Medicare ranks highest in overall satisfaction with Medicare Advantage plans in Ohio, with a score of 639. UPMC For Life ranks highest in overall satisfaction with Medicare Advantage plans in Pennsylvania for a fourth consecutive year, with a score of 689. Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield (659) ranks second and Aetna Medicare (647) ranks third. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee ranks highest in overall satisfaction with Medicare Advantage plans Tennessee, with a score of 690. Humana (647) ranks second. Humana ranks highest in overall satisfaction with Medicare Advantage plans in Texas, with a score of 641. UnitedHealthcare (628) ranks second and Aetna Medicare (624) ranks third. To view the complete visual rank charts for each region, visit: http://www.jdpower.com/pr-id/2026079. The U.S. Medicare Advantage Study, now in its 12th year, measures member satisfaction with Medicare Advantage plans - also known as Medicare Part C or Part D - based on eight factors (in order of importance): level of trust; able to get health services how/when I want; helping to save me time or money; product/coverage offerings meet my needs; ease of doing business; people - representatives, call center agents; resolving problems or complaints; and digital channels. The 2026 U.S. Medicare Advantage Study is based on the responses of 14,559 members of Medicare Advantage plans in 12 market-based U.S. regions: California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas. It was fielded from January through June 2026. About JD Power. JD Power delivers mission-critical data, analytics and intelligence that help businesses improve customer experience and operational performance with confidence and clarity. Using proprietary, comprehensive data-including millions of consumer interactions and authoritative automotive datasets-combined with advanced analytics, artificial intelligence and deep industry expertise, JD Power enables leaders to respond to market shifts, make smarter decisions and drive measurable performance improvements.