Dirks Insurance Group, LLC

12/24/2025

12/24/2025

Great news! Kootenai Health remains in network for Regence members!

This is excellent news for our clients with Regence BlueShield—you can continue seeing Kootenai Health providers without any disruption.

Below is an excerpt from an email sent by Regence:

“We’re happy to share that Kootenai Health will remain in the Regence network. This means you may continue to receive care from Kootenai Health providers, facilities, and clinics with no disruption.

We understand how concerning news about potential provider network disruptions can be. Thank you for your patience as we worked with the leaders of Kootenai Health to continue providing access to high-quality, cost-effective care for our members.

Regence will mail letters to affected members and post a digital alert for members registered for an online account.”

11/07/2025

We wanted to share an update regarding recent news that Kootenai Health and Regence BlueShield are in contract negotiations. Kootenai Health has announced plans to end its in-network relationship with Regence, effective January 1, 2026, if a new agreement is not reached. This was the article published in the Coeur d'Alene Press today on the issue: https://cdapress.com/news/2025/nov/07/kootenai-health-pursues-contract-agreement-with-regence-blueshield/.

At this point, no changes have taken effect, and negotiations are ongoing. It’s quite common for hospitals and insurance companies to use these announcements as part of their bargaining process—typically, the hospitals are seeking better terms on reimbursement rates and the insurance companies are seeking to keep costs lower for their members. In most cases, these negotiations are resolved before the contract expiration date, and coverage continues without interruption.

This will only impact individual and employer group plans, and not Regence Medicare Supplement plans. We’ll continue to monitor the situation and will provide updates if anything changes.

09/22/2025

📢 Annual Enrollment Period is Almost Here!

✅ Individual Plans (Marketplace/YHI)
📅 October 15 – December 15, 2025
➡️ If you receive tax credits, now is the time to update your income with Your Health Idaho (YHI) before your appointment.

✅ Medicare Plans (Medicare Advantage/Supplements)
📅 October 15 – December 7, 2025
➡️ Big changes are coming to Medicare Advantage Plans for 2026. Watch your mailbox for updates from your carrier, and be sure to review your plan.

✨ Good news!

If you’re happy with your current plan and renewal benefits, no action is needed.

If you’d like to explore new options for 2026, we’re here to help.

📞 Call us at 208-664-9272, and Mike Dirks, Scott Ramirez, or Isaac Kamara will be happy to assist you.

– The Dirks Insurance Group Team

09/05/2025

📬 Attention, Medicare Clients! Your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) should arrive by the end of September. It explains how your 2026 plan may change, including:

• Premiums & costs (deductibles, copays, coinsurance)
• Prescription drug list (tiers, coverage)
• Doctor/pharmacy network updates
• Added/removed benefits (dental, vision, wellness)

When to act:
Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) is Oct 15 – Dec 7. Any changes you make take effect Jan 1, 2026.

What to do:

1. Read your ANOC carefully. There are significant changes for MedAdvantage Plans going forward.
2. Check your meds and doctors against the changes.
3. Have questions? Call Dirks Insurance Group at 208-664-9272—we’ll review your options together.

⚠️ **Avoid scams:** We have been alerted by some of our clients about telephone scams, so be extra cautious with unsolicited calls or texts. Don’t ever share your Medicare number or personal information with unknown callers. Call our office directly if you have any questions at 208-664-9272.

06/05/2025

UPDATE: Phones are back up! We are also looking at alternatives to TDS.

We’re having issues with TDS again and not receiving phone calls due to an outage. Thank you for your patience!

05/22/2025

Kristi Gregg

05/17/2025

Update: Phone lines are back up! Woohoo!

Our phones are currently down due to a large TDS outage in our area. No incoming calls are able to get through. You can always email us at [email protected] or stop into the office during our regular business hours if you need anything. Hopefully, it will be repaired quickly. Thank you from all of us at Dirks Insurance.

08/26/2024