Healthcare news for October 22, 2026
Workers now pay $7,471 a year for family health coverage through their job, up 9% KFF's yearly survey of employer health plans, released today, finds the full cost of a family plan at work averaged $28,303 in 2026, up 5%. Employers still pay most of the bill, but the share taken out of workers' paychecks jumped 9%, more than twice as fast as wages (3.7%) and well ahead of inflation (2.7%). People at small companies are hit hardest: they pay an average of $9,687 a year toward family coverage and face higher deductibles. Many large employers responded by shifting more of the premium onto workers, and relatively few cover GLP-1 weight-loss drugs. If your employer's open enrollment is coming up, compare every plan option, check the deductible and out-of-pocket limit as well as the paycheck deduction, and consider a health savings or flexible spending account to pay for care with pre-tax dollars.
In 30 seconds
- Picking a health plan at work this fall? Look past the paycheck deduction. Add up the premium, deductible and out-of-pocket limit for each option, and use an HSA or FSA if you can.
- Check your fridge and bathroom: Graziers raw-milk cheese is tied to an E. coli outbreak, and about 4 million tubes of kids' toothpaste (Brush Buddies, EVO, ARU) have been recalled.
- Flu is rising in almost every state. If you haven't had your flu shot, aim to get it by the end of October, and call your doctor early if you're high-risk and get sick.
- Losing your Medicare Advantage plan and thinking of going back to Original Medicare? Shop for Medigap carefully: prices have jumped, so compare several insurers and ask your SHIP counselor about your rights.
Medicare & Seniors
Upper Michigan's UP Health System leaving Humana Medicare Advantage network
Unless a new deal is reached by Dec. 31, UP Health System doctors and hospitals will be out of network for Humana Medicare Advantage members starting Jan. 1. Original Medicare and Medigap aren't affected. Members can compare plans on Medicare.gov before Dec. 7.
WLUC TV6Blue Cross is dropping Medicare Advantage in Montana
Blue Cross Blue Shield had offered Medicare Advantage in about 40 Montana counties and is ending those plans, so its members must choose new coverage. Nine counties will have no Medicare Advantage option at all, leaving Original Medicare as the choice there.
Montana Public RadioSwitching back to Original Medicare? Medigap prices have climbed
As Medicare Advantage plans disappear, many seniors weigh a Medigap supplement. Those policies average over $200 a month on top of Part B, and one data firm found average premiums up about 17% in a year. Read every insurer letter and get free help from your state's SHIP.
Tradeoffs
Insurance & ACA
Uninsured rate for working-age adults climbs to 11.2%
A new Commonwealth Fund survey finds the share of adults 19 to 64 without insurance rose from 8.9% in 2024, as extra ACA subsidies expired and Medicaid rolls shrank. Half of working-age adults put off care because of cost, and about 3 in 10 are paying off medical debt.
Commonwealth FundFew large employers cover GLP-1 weight-loss drugs
Only 18% of large firms cover drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound for weight loss, often with limits, KFF reports. Only about 1 in 7 firms that don't cover them say they're likely to start within a year. Check your plan's drug list before you count on coverage.
KFFACA subsidies cut off for about 189,000 people with duplicate coverage
CMS ended Marketplace tax credits for enrollees who also had Medicare, Medicaid or CHIP, or were listed as deceased. People who get a notice have 30 days to dispute it or drop the duplicate coverage. Officials say no one lost insurance, only the subsidy.
AJMC
Medicines & FDA
First generic of a weekly menopause hormone patch approved
FDA approved Zydus' generic version of Climara Pro, a once-a-week patch that combines estrogen and a progestin for women who still have a uterus. It treats moderate to severe hot flashes and helps prevent bone loss after menopause, and should cost less than the brand.
FDAUltomiris approved to lower protein loss in IgA nephropathy, a kidney disease
FDA granted accelerated approval to AstraZeneca's Ultomiris for adults with IgA nephropathy at risk of getting worse. In a study, it cut protein in the urine by about 47% versus 6% on placebo. Whether it slows kidney decline is still being studied.
Pharmacy TimesFDA approves Hibsago, a new shot-based treatment for chronic hepatitis B
GSK's bepirovirsen is a 24-week course of injections added to standard antiviral pills for certain adults without cirrhosis. In studies, 19% of patients cleared signs of the virus well enough to be considered functionally cured, versus none on placebo.
Contagion Live
Staying Well
Raw-milk cheese recall tied to E. coli outbreak in nine states
Sierra Nevada Cheese Co. recalled its Graziers raw-milk Monterey Jack, jalapeño jack, medium and sharp cheddar. Thirteen people are sick, more than half of them children 5 and under. FDA gave it its most serious risk rating. Don't eat it; toss it or return it.
WSAWCDC confirms third U.S. measles death this year
The national count reached 4,410 cases as of Oct. 15, the most in decades. Pennsylvania, the hardest-hit state, reports 1,286 cases in 42 counties. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are the best protection; check your records if you're unsure.
Al JazeeraAbout 4 million tubes of kids' toothpaste recalled
Seventeen fluoride toothpastes sold under Brush Buddies, EVO and ARU, many with Barbie, Hot Wheels, My Little Pony or Crayola designs, were recalled over manufacturing and testing problems. FDA rates it a lower-risk Class II recall. Check your cabinet against FDA's list.
NBC Chicago
Policy & Law
HHS unveils a plan to overhaul kidney care
The plan aims to bring more competition to dialysis, where two companies hold about 74% of the market, tighten oversight of organ transplants and catch kidney disease earlier. It suggests a new Medicare payment model for early-stage kidney disease.
AxiosNew Hampshire readies system to track Medicaid work hours
Starting Jan. 1, many adults on New Hampshire's Medicaid expansion must show proof of 80 hours a month of work or similar activity. The state is adapting its job-matching website to log hours. One estimate says up to 29,000 people could lose coverage by 2028.
New Hampshire BulletinOregon law makes hospitals check every patient for financial aid
Since 2024, Oregon hospitals must screen patients for free or discounted care instead of waiting for applications. At OHSU, the share automatically approved jumped from 12% to 64%. Hospitals got the rule loosened this year as federal coverage cuts loom.
KFF Health News
Hospitals & Business
Anthem parent Elevance earns $1.36 billion as members drop
Elevance's Medicare Advantage, Medicaid and employer risk-based enrollment all fell, trimming total membership 1.1% to about 44.9 million. Medical costs eased compared with last year, and the company raised its full-year profit forecast.
ForbesRural Colorado hospital cuts 77 positions
Montrose Regional Health eliminated 77 roles, 34 of them filled and nearly half in direct patient care, citing flat commercial payments and rising costs. It expects to save over $8 million a year and says critical hospital services won't be affected.
Fierce HealthcareHuntsville Hospital breaks ground on a $30 million ER
The new North Huntsville emergency department will offer round-the-clock emergency care, imaging and lab services, working like a small hospital without inpatient beds. No opening date was announced.
Huntsville Business Journal