Category: Medicare

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services set the standard monthly Part B premium at $202.90 for 2026, a $17.90 increase over the current year. Because that premium is typically deducted straight from Social Security checks, the hike will eat into much of the $56-per-month raise that the 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment was supposed to deliver….

The expiration of enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits at the close of 2025 has put approximately 22 million Marketplace enrollees on a collision course, with sharply higher insurance costs. These subsidies, first created by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and later extended by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, kept monthly…

Federal prosecutors have charged two foreign nationals in Chicago for allegedly running a $10 million health care fraud scheme that used fake labs and medical equipment suppliers to bill Medicare for services never provided, laundering the stolen proceeds overseas. The case is one thread in a far larger federal enforcement wave that has now charged…

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has launched a series of regulatory actions targeting Medicare Advantage plans, using payment audits and tighter compliance rules to recover what federal investigators say are billions of dollars in improper payments. The effort centers on diagnoses that generate higher government reimbursements but lack evidence of actual patient treatment….

Americans turning 65 face a decision that, if mishandled, can permanently inflate their healthcare costs: whether and when to enroll in Medicare Part B and Part D. Skipping enrollment without qualifying employer coverage triggers late-enrollment penalties that attach to monthly premiums for life. With 2026 premiums already set to rise, the financial damage from even…

Nearly three million Medicare Advantage enrollees could have their current plan discontinued or materially changed for the 2026 contract year, based on estimates that pair CMS plan crosswalk files with CMS enrollment data. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has finalized payment updates for the coming contract year, and insurers are also updating…

Medicare Advantage enrollment now covers more than half of all Medicare-eligible Americans, and the plans they choose can be influenced by quality scores that include what members report about their experience. The federal government’s Star Ratings system blends clinical performance with enrollee-reported measures and is one widely used way to compare Medicare Advantage contracts. Because…

Medicare is a lifeline in retirement, but it is not simple, automatic, or all‑inclusive. To protect your savings and your health, you need to understand the biggest structural problems baked into the program before you enroll or make changes. I focus here on three huge Medicare problems every retiree must know now so you can…

Health policy in President Donald Trump’s second year back in office is shifting from emergency pandemic-era supports to a new architecture built around price transparency, personal savings accounts, and tighter federal spending. The White House is betting that a mix of tax-advantaged accounts, drug price reforms, and revised Medicare and Medicaid payments can slow premium…

Medicare’s 2026 rulebook is quietly rewriting how older Americans will pay for prescriptions and Medicare Advantage coverage, shifting more of the savings toward people with heavy drug needs while leaving others to wrestle with higher basic costs. The headline changes, from the first round of negotiated drug prices to a new ceiling on Part D…