Money, Wealth & Power—A Daily Look at the Financial World
UnitedHealth is back under the regulatory spotlight, with fresh scrutiny of its Medicare business arriving just as investors are still digesting earlier legal and political blows. The new accusations raise questions about how much legal risk is already reflected in UNH’s valuation and how much more volatility shareholders should brace for. I see a company…
The Trump administration’s health team tried to quietly pull roughly $2 billion from the country’s mental health and addiction safety net, then scrambled to put the money back after a political and public health firestorm. The Department of Health and Human Services is now racing not only to restore the grants on paper but also…
Millions of older Americans who rely on private Medicare plans are about to lose a coverage option that had quietly become routine. A new federal rule will bar Medicare Advantage insurers from paying for a widely used medical procedure, affecting more than 4 million seniors and reshaping how these plans can compete on benefits. The…
The United States is carrying a $38 trillion national debt, and Mark Cuban is arguing that one of the most bloated corners of the economy, health insurance, should help pay it down. His idea is blunt: fine insurers every time they overbill or wrongly deny care, and use the proceeds to chip away at the…
Medicare Advantage has gone from a niche option to a political and financial flashpoint, and the debate is no longer confined to policy circles. When “Last Week Tonight” host John Oliver and personal finance star Suze Orman both urge older Americans to rethink these private plans, it signals that the stakes for retirees are high…
UnitedHealth’s decision to push roughly one million seniors out of its Medicare Advantage products marks a break from the incremental tweaks that usually define this market. For older Americans who built their budgets and care relationships around these plans, the shift is not an abstract business story but a direct hit to how they will…
Higher income retirees are on track to shoulder larger Medicare bills in 2026, as new income brackets push more people into surcharge territory and raise costs at the very top. The changes will hit both Medicare Part B doctor coverage and Part D drug plans, reshaping what affluent households pay even if their health needs…
The health care system is bracing for a shock as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act begins to reshape coverage, costs, and basic protections. Nonpartisan estimates indicate that close to 11 million people could lose insurance as key Medicaid and Affordable Care Act supports are rolled back, with ripple effects for hospitals, state budgets, and…
Trump officials are promoting a cheaper alternative to Obamacare coverage, promising relief from rising premiums just as enhanced subsidies are set to wind down. The pitch is simple: skinnier plans, more flexibility, and lower monthly costs for people who feel priced out of the Affordable Care Act marketplaces. The catch is buried in the fine…
Thousands of older adults who rely on Medicare gap coverage are about to be caught in a squeeze, as a major insurer’s decision to exit the market collides with sweeping changes to Medicare in 2026. The result is a confusing, high stakes moment in which retirees risk losing financial protection just as premiums, deductibles and…