Author: Elizabeth Blessing
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Drug makers have signed 26 deals covering nearly 90 percent of the branded drug market
The White House says the federal government has locked in agreements with drug manufacturers covering nearly all of the brand-name medications Americans buy, a milestone that has been building for more than a year under a single presidential order aimed at drug prices. As of August 31, 2026, the administration had reached 26 deals with…
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The government will match retirement savings for low and moderate earners starting in 2027
Millions of lower- and moderate-income workers are due a new, direct boost to their retirement savings starting with tax year 2027 — not a tax break that only helps if a return owes money, but cash the government deposits straight into the account. The Treasury Department and the IRS confirmed on August 7, 2026 that…
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An inmate serving life pleaded guilty to taking more than $300,000 in veterans benefits by claiming PTSD
A West Virginia inmate already serving life without parole for murder pleaded guilty this month to a second, unrelated crime: fraudulently collecting $354,813.98 in Department of Veterans Affairs disability benefits by falsely claiming he had post-traumatic stress disorder. Zachary Hess Dawson, 39, admitted he was never eligible for the payments he received for nearly nine…
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A representative payee certified $23,157 of a dead man’s benefits as spent on his care
A Massachusetts woman was sentenced this month for stealing more than $100,000 in Social Security benefits meant for someone who had already died. Jennifer Valley, 51, of Barre, had been appointed the beneficiary’s representative payee — the person trusted to manage someone else’s Social Security check and account for how it was spent. Instead of…
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Medicare’s watchdog says all 14 states it checked could do better at vetting nursing-home inspectors
Every state has the job of inspecting its nursing homes for Medicare and Medicaid compliance, but a growing number hand part of that work to outside contractors instead of using state employees. A federal audit released this month checked how well the agency in charge of the whole system, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid…
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Veterans’ 2027 raise is decided by a Social Security announcement on October 14
Every veteran drawing VA disability compensation is waiting on a number that has not been set yet — and it will not come from the Department of Veterans Affairs. By law, VA disability raises are pegged to the same cost-of-living adjustment the Social Security Administration announces each fall, which means the size of a veteran’s…
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The disability rulebook for young adults changes October 1 for every Social Security adjudicator
A federal disability file can turn a complicated young life into a diagnosis, a school record, and a handful of checked boxes. Starting October 1, every Social Security adjudicator will use a new rulebook to make that call for young adults, replacing guidance that has been on the books since 2011. For families whose household…
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Medicare can grant two months to leave a plan when a hospital leaves its network
When a hospital or a large group of doctors drops out of a Medicare Advantage network mid-year, the plan doesn’t have to let members leave right away. Medicare treats a serious network shakeup as a case-by-case situation rather than an automatic trigger for a new enrollment window. That distinction matters, because the two-month window some…
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A Medicare Advantage giveback pays part of Part B, so losing one cuts the Social Security check
Medicare Advantage members don’t usually think about their Part B premium until the amount landing in their bank account changes. For millions of enrollees, a plan perk called a giveback benefit quietly covers part of that premium, which is why losing it shows up as a smaller Social Security deposit rather than a canceled service.…
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States may not line up a family’s Medicaid renewal dates, so one household gets two clocks
A household enrolled in Medicaid rarely renews everyone on the same calendar date to begin with, and starting in 2027 that mismatch is set to widen for many families. Federal guidance on a new renewal rule makes clear that states are not allowed to fix the mismatch by lining every household member up on one…