Medicare plan drops 1,300 area patients (The World)
On Oct. 1, while reading the legal section in the newspaper, Empire resident Barbara Rhodes found out her Medicare Advantage insurance plan was being canceled as of Dec. 31.

R.I. approves higher Medigap rates for 2009 (Providence Business News)
CRANSTON Medicare subscribers who buy supplemental coverage through the state s two largest insurers will see their rates increase next year, though by less than the companies had asked, under the 2009 rates just approved by the R.I. Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner (OHIC).

Opportunities for Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement Products (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)
KENNEBUNK, Maine----Health plans are announcing their 2009 Medicare products in preparation for Medicare open-enrollment which begins on November 15, 2008. The senior market with more than 40 million Medicare beneficiaries has become a key focus for health plans nationwide.