Healthcare news for October 14, 2026
Medicare shoppers will see fewer Advantage plans for 2027. Read your mail before you choose Medicare's yearly sign-up window runs Oct. 15 through Dec. 7. KFF counts fewer Medicare Advantage plans with drug coverage for the typical person next year, and some insurers are leaving counties or whole states. If your plan is ending or being merged into another one, compare doctors, drugs and costs now rather than letting it roll over.
In 30 seconds
- Medicare open enrollment opens Thursday. If a letter says your Advantage plan is ending or being folded into another plan, check that your doctors, pharmacy and drugs are still covered before Dec. 7.
- Social Security posts the official 2027 raise this morning. Until it does, any number you see is a forecast. We'll update our COLA guide as soon as it's out.
- Buying your own insurance? Seven insurers are leaving ACA markets in 20 states for 2027, so even if you like your plan, shop again when sign-up opens Nov. 1.
- Flu is rising earliest on the West Coast, and people 65 and older have the highest hospital rate. Aim to get your shot by the end of October.
Medicare & Seniors
The typical Medicare enrollee has 28 Advantage drug plans to pick from for 2027
That's down from 32 this year and 36 at the 2024 peak, KFF found. Texas lost the most choices, followed by Illinois and Ohio. Benefits, networks and drug lists change every year, so compare your current plan against the others.
KFFAbout 390,000 Minnesota seniors face lost or changed Advantage coverage
HealthPartners, Humana, UnitedHealthcare and Blue Cross are dropping or reshaping some plans. People moved automatically into a different plan may pay more or lose a doctor. Free help: Minnesota Aging Pathways at 800-333-2433.
MPR News
Insurance & ACA
Seven insurers are leaving ACA marketplaces for 2027
Cigna, CareSource, Medica, PacificSource, Providence, Baylor Scott & White and Mending are exiting markets, forcing some enrollees in 20 states to choose a new plan. Open enrollment runs Nov. 1 to Jan. 15 in most states.
Medical DailyNorth Dakota approves 2027 rate hikes of up to 19%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota got a 19% average increase on individual plans, Medica 13.3% and Sanford 7%. Regulators trimmed several requests. Sign up by Dec. 15 for coverage starting Jan. 1.
Valley News Live
Medicines & FDA
Safety worries grow over a Prader-Willi syndrome drug
Records obtained by STAT tie Vykat XR to seven deaths and nearly 100 hospital stays since its approval, though reports like these don't prove the drug was the cause. A former FDA reviewer is asking the agency to pull it. Families should talk with their child's doctor before making any change.
STATFDA approves Tecentriq after surgery for a type of stage 3 colon cancer
Adding the immunotherapy to standard chemotherapy cut the risk of the cancer coming back or death by about half in a trial of patients with dMMR tumors. Ask your oncologist whether your tumor was tested for this marker.
Targeted OncologyFirst once-a-month olanzapine shot under the skin approved for schizophrenia
Teva's Weltruza gives adults a monthly injection option instead of daily pills. Long-acting shots can help people who have trouble staying on medicine.
HCPLive
Staying Well
Pennsylvania reports its sixth measles-related death
A 39-year-old Franklin County woman with other health problems died Oct. 10. Pennsylvania has topped 1,000 cases, more than a quarter of the 4,080 counted nationwide. If you're unsure about your MMR shots, ask your doctor.
FOX 29 PhiladelphiaFlu season is off to an early start, led by the West Coast
CDC data show activity rising but still low nationally. Adults 65 and older have the highest hospital admission rate. Shots take about two weeks to work, and you can get flu and COVID vaccines at the same visit.
Medical DailyPatients report harms from popular unproven peptides
Products like BPC-157 are pushed online for healing but have never been tested in human trials. Users describe migraines, eye pain and fatigue, and the FDA has not finished deciding whether to loosen limits on them.
KFF Health News
Policy & Law
Support for 'Medicare for All' climbs in new poll
In an Axios-Ipsos survey, 43% backed it, 24% opposed it and about a third were unsure. Two-thirds said government should spend more to bring down health costs.
AxiosHospitals sue again to stop a 340B drug rebate pilot
The American Hospital Association and four small hospitals say switching from upfront discounts to after-the-fact rebates, set for January, could cost them over $1 billion a year and drain thin cash reserves.
Healthcare DiveTexas proposes ending its low-cost autism therapy program
The program helped 583 children last year, with at least 1,000 more on waitlists. Lawmakers will decide; if it's cut, services would run through August 2027.
The Texas Tribune
Hospitals & Business
Johnson & Johnson sales rise 6% and it lifts its 2026 outlook
The drug and device maker reported $25.4 billion in third-quarter sales and expects to top $100 billion for the year.
Johnson & JohnsonMissouri hospital ends baby deliveries after its bankruptcy sale
The new operator of Fitzgibbon Hospital in Marshall stopped labor and delivery in September. Expectant mothers now drive 30 minutes to over an hour to Sedalia or Warrensburg, though prenatal care continues locally.
The Beacon