Category: Medicare

Financial commentator Dave Ramsey has warned Americans about a growing risk to their Medicare coverage, pointing to plan terminations and pending federal legislation that could force millions of seniors into coverage arrangements they did not choose. The warning comes as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reshapes payment rules for 2026 and a bill…

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has put Part D drug plans on notice: starting in 2025, plans must offer an option that lets participating enrollees pay $0 cost sharing at the pharmacy counter for Part D-covered drugs, with those out-of-pocket costs billed later by the plan. The policy, called the Medicare Prescription Payment…

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…

For the second consecutive year, the rapid expansion of Medicare Advantage has stalled, with federal projections pointing to an enrollment decline in 2026 and major insurers pulling back from markets they once aggressively pursued. The slowdown signals a structural shift in the program that covers tens of millions of older Americans through private health plans,…

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…

Health care is one of the biggest wild cards in retirement, and for many older Americans it is the line item that keeps the budget from ever feeling secure. Premiums, copays, dental work, hearing aids and prescriptions can easily run into thousands of dollars a year, even for people who planned carefully. There is, however,…

The Trump administration’s latest Medicare Advantage proposal is less a tweak than a stress test for a program that now covers tens of millions of seniors. By pairing a near‑flat payment update with a crackdown on how plans document patient illnesses, the White House is betting it can squeeze out waste without triggering a backlash…