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Connections
A smiling man with short dark hair wearing a blue button-down shirt and a grey blazer. He is holding a pair of eyeglasses. The word "Connections" appears on the left side of the photo in vertical letters.
Connections

Understanding the changes to Medicare Advantage plans

By Megan Mack,
Megan Mack, Elissa Orlando, Julie Williams
Published October 9, 2025 at 4:26 PM EDT
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Gary Pudup
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WXXI News
Andy Napierala and Rene Pettenski with host Evan Dawson on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Thursday, October 9, 2025
A smiling man with short dark hair wearing a blue button-down shirt and a grey blazer. He is holding a pair of eyeglasses. The word "Connections" appears on the left side of the photo in vertical letters.
WXXI News

Medicare open enrollment starts next week.

In September, letters went out to recipients explaining that there would be changes. Some plans are being dropped completely.

This has caused a great deal of confusion and concern. We address the changes and answer your questions.

In studio:

  • Andy Napierala, vice president of Medicare and individual market sales for Excellus BlueCross BlueShield
  • Rene Pettenski, manager of the Health Insurance Information Counseling Assistance Program at Lifespan

Connections
Megan Mack
Megan Mack is the executive producer of "Connections with Evan Dawson" and live/televised engagement programming.
See stories by Megan Mack
Megan Mack
Megan Mack is the executive producer of "Connections with Evan Dawson" and live/televised engagement programming.
See stories by Megan Mack
Elissa Orlando
Elissa Orlando is a producer for “Connections with Evan Dawson.” She returns part-time to WXXI News after stepping back from a long career in public media and in translational science.
See stories by Elissa Orlando
Julie Williams
Julie Williams is an associate producer for "Connections with Evan Dawson." She started at WXXI in 2019 and has been working on Connections since 2022.
See stories by Julie Williams