Fifteen brand-name drugs get negotiated prices on Jan. 1. Here’s where the discount actually shows up on your bill, where it doesn’t, and the three lines in this month’s plan letter that tell you which one you’re getting.
A pilot called WISeR has put prior authorization on a short list of procedures in six states. Most people won’t feel it. If you do, one form (the ABN) decides whether you or Medicare gets the bill.
58% of Medicare Advantage members didn’t use their dental benefit last year. A 2024 rule was going to make plans mail you a list of unused benefits each July; CMS scrapped it before the first mailing. Most dental allowances expire December 31. One call, three questions, one appointment.
CMS set the 2027 Part D base premium at $41.33, up 6% — and that number prices the permanent late enrollment penalty. If you’re 65 and still on a work or retiree drug plan, the creditable-coverage letter due by Oct. 15 is what proves you don’t owe it.
Federal inspectors found Medicare Advantage plans reversed 95% of appealed nursing-home denials, yet only 18% were ever appealed. The 65-day window, the 72-hour fast track, and the noon deadline that decide the outcome.
The “$2,400 back in your Social Security check” ads start October 1. It’s a real benefit — but KFF’s numbers show the typical enrollee who has it gets less than $10 a month. Here’s the math, and the four lines to check before you call.
Since 2023, a Medicare agent who collected your appointment form at a seminar had to wait 48 hours before the sales pitch. Starting October 1, that pause is gone – same room, same afternoon. Here’s exactly what changed, the nine protections that didn’t, and one sentence that hands you back the clock.
For two years a temporary federal program shaved an average of $16 to $26 a month off standalone Part D premiums — and, more importantly, capped how much any one plan could raise your premium in a single year. CMS announced on July 28 that it ends after 2026. Here’s the number to look for in September and the free window to do something about it.
Turn 73 in 2026 and the IRS requires a withdrawal from your IRA. Send it straight to charity with a QCD and you can cut the income tax — and even lower your Medicare premium. Here’s how it works, the deadlines, and the catch.
Extra Help (the Part D Low-Income Subsidy) zeroes out your drug-plan premium and deductible and caps copays at a few dollars — about $5,900 a year in value. There’s no enrollment window, and the income limits are higher than most assume.