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Key Facts About Medicare Spending Trends and Projections from the 2026 Medicare Trustees Report

Eileen Cook — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 12:02:31 GMT

(Authors: Alex Cottrill and Juliette Cubanski for The Kasier Family Foundation Published: Jun 24, 2026)

On June 9, 2026, the Medicare Trustees issued the annual report on the financial status of the Medicare program for 2026. The Trustees highlighted that the Medicare Part A trust fund is projected to be depleted in 2033, the same year but one quarter earlier than last year’s projection. In addition to discussing the status of the Part A trust fund, the report also provides substantial additional details on federal spending for Medicare Part B and Part D benefits, the distribution of spending for traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage, and revenue sources for Medicare, along with updated spending and revenue projections and a detailed discussion of factors that have contributed to changes in the program’s financial outlook. This brief provides an overview of key trends in Medicare spending and spending growth, as well as the impact of these trends on out-of-pocket costs for Medicare beneficiaries and Medicare program solvency, as projected by the Medicare Trustees. Continue reading here…

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5 insights from payers’ 2027 ACA rate filings so far

Eileen Cook — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 11:56:58 GMT

(By: Jakob Emerson for Becker’s Hospital Review)

ACA marketplace premiums are on track for a second consecutive year of double-digit increases, according to a June 18 analysis of early rate filings from Georgetown University’s Center on Health Insurance Reforms. Continue reading here…

Democrats To Propose Bill Capping Out-of-Pocket Medicare Costs for Enrollees

Eileen Cook — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 11:50:35 GMT

(By Julie Appleby for KFF Health News published June 25, 2026)

Sen. Ron Wyden and 14 Democratic co-sponsors plan to introduce legislation Thursday to cap consumers’ potential out-of-pocket costs in traditional Medicare, resurfacing a long-running debate over why the program doesn’t limit beneficiary spending.

Even the bill’s backers say securing passage this year is a long shot. But the effort is one more opportunity for Democrats to highlight voters’ frustration about healthcare costs leading into the November election.

Polls show Americans are very concerned about affordability, with a recent Gallup survey finding fewer than half of Americans say they can consistently afford healthcare. Continue reading here…

Kaiser Health News is a nonprofit national health polity news service that is part of the nonpartisan Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation

The Medical Frailty Exemption from Medicaid Work Requirements: Key Takeaways from the CMS Interim Final Rule

Eileen Cook — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 11:54:40 GMT

(Authors: Amaya Diana, Jennifer Tolbert, and Robin Rudowitz for The Kaiser Family Foundation Published: Jun 23, 2026)

On June 1, 2026, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a long-anticipated interim final rule that will guide state implementation of Medicaid work requirements. The 2025 reconciliation law requires 44 states to condition Medicaid eligibility for adults in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansion group and enrollees in certain waiver programs, including in non-expansion states (Georgia, Tennessee, and Wisconsin), on meeting work requirements starting January 1, 2027, or sooner at state option. The law specifies mandatory exemptions, including individuals who are “medically frail.” Given the abbreviated implementation timeline, states had tentatively moved forward with key decisions over how to implement the medical frailty exemption even as they waited for formal guidance from CMS. Continue reading here…

From discharge to dignity

Eileen Cook — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 11:48:47 GMT

(Source - news.va.gov)

How one Veteran found his way back through VA Fayetteville

George Bryant Jr. proudly served in the Air Force for more than 12 years, dedicating himself to a cause greater than himself. Inspired by his father, George Bryant Sr., a Navy Veteran of World War II, the younger George embraced the values of service and sacrifice from an early age. He was born in 1959, in Brooklyn, New York, and would later follow the opportunity to follow in his father’s military footsteps. Continue reading here…

Employer-sponsored insurance premiums could drop 6.5% with anticompetitive hospital contracting ban: White House

Eileen Cook — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 11:43:26 GMT

(By: Elizabeth Casolo for Becker’s Hospital Review)

The White House Council of Economic Advisers addressed the possibility of banning antisteering practices, which prohibit insurers from guiding patients to lower-cost providers, in payer-provider contracting. Its conclusion: Prices and premiums could drop. Continue reading here…

How virtual care helped one Veteran finally face his PTSD

Eileen Cook — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 14:19:19 GMT

(Source - news.va.gov)

It’s never too late: Army Veteran finds path to PTSD recovery through virtual care

Three years ago, Darrell Fullmer would never have imagined sitting in front of his laptop, talking openly about his challenges with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). But that’s exactly how the 56-year-old Army Veteran found his path to healing. Continue reading here…

Feds push for more intel on No Surprises Act

Eileen Cook — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 14:12:25 GMT

(By: Elizabeth Casolo for Becker’s Hospital Review)

The Congressional Budget Office is requesting more research on the No Surprises Act.

In a June 15 website post, CBO called for research relying on more recent data, as claims data for existing studies end in 2023, while arbitration patterns were just beginning to emerge. CBO also hopes to solidify whether price and network trends are related to NSA, isolated from other factors. Other recommended research includes quantitative or qualitative insights on arbitrators’ decision making and possible incentives, as well as healthcare market evolution in the wake of the law. Continue reading here…

Medicare’s AI Push Snarls Patients and Doctors in Errors and Delays

Eileen Cook — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 14:08:05 GMT

(By Darius Tahir for KFF Health News published June 23, 2026)

Bill Curry, 65, raises cattle on the same land in rural Oklahoma once owned by his father and generations before him. Each quarter, for several years, he has made the 2½-hour drive to Oklahoma City for an epidural in his spine to treat his back pain.

But this year, because of a new Medicare program, Curry has traveled a little more often. Continue reading here…

Kaiser Health News is a nonprofit national health polity news service that is part of the nonpartisan Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation

Medicare IRMAA

Eileen Cook — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 12:22:01 GMT

IRMAA stands for Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount. It is an extra surcharge applied to Medicare Part B and Part D premiums for beneficiaries with higher incomes. The Social Security Administration determines IRMAA using your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) from your federal tax return two years prior. In 2026, higher-income Medicare beneficiaries pay an additional Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA) on top of the standard Part B ($202.90) and Part D premiums, based on their 2024 tax return income. Drew Wood, writing for AOL.com, explains Medicare IRMAA and how you may be able to erase the surcharge. Read Mr. Wood’s article here…