Medicare Changes and Insurance Trends in 2026
Changes to Medicare Advantage (MAPD) and Stand alone Prescription Drug Plans that began in2025 have compounded the effects of rising medical costs and inflation. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, for the 2025 year, the number of stand-alone Part D plans decreased significantly, and the average out-of-pocket cost for prescription drugs increased on both Part D and MAPD, with 60% of MAPD enrollees facing a deductible, up from 21% in 2024. 2026 figures to be an even more disruptive year in Maine, which will require beneficiaries to carefully check their plans to avoid major surprises in 2026.
To help seniors prepare, Matt will highlight the changes to look for in 2026, which include: deductibles, plans terminating, increasing monthly premiums, rising cost of copays on common services, and other considerations that folks must navigate this year to avoid expensive mistakes when choosing the right plan option for 2026.
Speaker Bios
Matt Orlando
Matt Orlando lives in Cumberland, Maine with his wife Amanda and three kids. He has nearly 20 years of experience in the insurance industry, with 18 years specializing in Medicare specifically.
Matt launched Orlando Insurance Agency in 2024 to help seniors navigate the increasingly unpredictable Medicare Advantage and Part D landscape. Before launching his own agency, Matt worked at Aetna as the Director of Medicare Operations for New England from 2015 to 2021 where he was instrumental in designing Aetna’s Medicare Advantage plans alongside the Chief Medicare Officer of New England. From 2021 through 2024 Matt was the Vice President of Product at Martin’s Point where he was responsible for sales, enrollment, member services, billing, and product design.
Seeing the changes coming in 2025 and 2026, Matt switched from putting the Medicare Advantage plans together to helping Maine Medicare beneficiaries choose the right plans them. Orlando Insurance Agency currently has 7 experienced independent agents and prides itself on doing the right thing for the client by letting the needs and preferences of their clients drive each beneficiary’s plan selection. Matt has been running several group Medicare presentations this year and is accustomed to speaking to large groups both as an independent agent and in his past senior leadership roles for health insurance companies.
Orlando Agency represents 8 organizations which offer 57 plans in Maine and New Hampshire. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-Medicare, or your local State Health Insurance Program to get information on all your options.
Cindy Cogswell
Cindy Cogswell lives in Gray, Maine and has 35 years of experience in the insurance industry, with 25 years specializing in Medicare specifically. Cindy worked at Aetna as a plan representative and benefit consultant for several years before transitioning to Orlando Insurance Agency this year as an independent broker representing all the Medicare Advantage and Part D plans in Maine, as well as several Medicare Supplements. Cindy is extremely involved in the community and loves to help people with their Medicare decisions. Cindy has built her reputation around putting the needs of her clients above all else and is excited to be an independent broker representing several plans now so that she can help seniors find the best plan for them, regardless of which health insurance company it’s being offered through. Cindy has been running 10 to 20 group Medicare presentations each year for the past decade with crowds ranging from small groups to upwards of 150.