Category: Medicare
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Ozempic is one of 15 drugs getting a lower Medicare-negotiated price in 2027
The most talked-about drug in America is about to get cheaper for the people who buy it through Medicare. Semaglutide — sold as Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus — is one of 15 medicines that will carry a new, lower Medicare-negotiated price starting January 1, 2027. For a Part D household filling one of these prescriptions,…
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Medicare drug-plan premiums are set to rise for nearly half of enrollees next year as federal help ends
A temporary federal cushion that has quietly held down Medicare drug-plan premiums for two years is being pulled away, and the effect will show up in millions of monthly bills. Federal officials announced on July 28, 2026 that the program shielding stand-alone drug plans from premium swings will end after December 31, 2026. For 2027,…
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Humana is cutting Medicare Advantage plans that cover about 8% of its members for a second straight year
About 600,000 people are about to get a letter that changes their health coverage. That is roughly 8% of the 7.2 million members enrolled in Humana’s Medicare Advantage plans, and the company is walking away from their plans for 2027. It is the second year running that Humana has pruned its lineup, and for the…
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A letter saying your hospital left your Advantage plan can open a special window to switch — but you must ask
When a Medicare Advantage plan and a hospital system part ways, members get a letter in the mail. It is easy to skim that notice, feel annoyed, and file it away. But buried in that kind of letter can be the key to a rarely used escape hatch: a special window to switch plans outside…
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Ohio State’s hospitals leave Humana’s Medicare Advantage network October 1, forcing patients to switch or pay
Patients who get their care at Ohio State University’s hospitals and carry a Humana Medicare Advantage plan are facing a hard deadline. Beginning October 1, 2026, Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center, the James Cancer Center, and OSU-affiliated physicians will be out of network for Humana Medicare Advantage and Humana Medicaid members. That means care you…
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Medicare now covers Wegovy and Zepbound for about $50 a month through 2027
For the first time, some Medicare beneficiaries can fill certain popular GLP-1 weight-loss medications for a flat $50 a month. The catch worth understanding up front is that this is a temporary program with an expiration date, not a permanent new Medicare benefit. It is called the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge, and for households where a…
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UnitedHealthcare is weighing dropping Medicare Advantage plans in 34 counties across 12 states for 2027
UnitedHealthcare is weighing whether to stop offering some of its Medicare Advantage plans in 34 counties spread across 12 states for the 2027 plan year, according to an early exit list that surfaced this month. Nothing is final. The company has not filed binding non-renewal notices, and the map could still shrink or grow before…
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Medicare open enrollment runs October 15 to December 7, the one window to change or drop a plan
For most people on Medicare, the chance to change coverage comes just once a year, and that window opens October 15 and closes December 7. During those weeks, enrollees can switch, join, or drop a Medicare Advantage plan or a Part D drug plan, and any change made takes effect January 1. Missing the deadline…
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A Medicare Savings Program can cover the Part B premium for lower-income enrollees
Millions of Medicare enrollees pay their Part B premium out of pocket every month without realizing a state program could cover it for them. Medicare Savings Programs are designed to do exactly that for people with limited income, yet they remain one of the most under-claimed forms of help in the Medicare system. For a…
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Losing a Medicare Advantage plan can open a guaranteed right to buy Medigap coverage
Losing a Medicare Advantage plan is unsettling, but it can also unlock a protection that is otherwise hard to get. Federal rules give people whose Advantage coverage ends through no fault of their own a limited window to buy a Medigap policy without a health screening. That window is time-sensitive, and enrollees who do not…
