Healthcare news for October 25, 2026
ACA sign-up opens Saturday. If your insurer is leaving, you could be moved into a plan you never picked Open enrollment for 2027 Marketplace coverage starts Nov. 1 in most states, and this year many shoppers will find a shorter list of companies. CMS figures show 152 insurers will sell plans on HealthCare.gov next year, 14% fewer than this year, and at least a dozen companies are pulling out of some or all of their markets. Cigna is leaving all 11 of its Marketplace states, affecting about 369,000 people, and Baylor Scott & White is exiting Texas. If your insurer is going away and you do nothing, HealthCare.gov will try to place you in a similar plan from a different company, which may not include your doctors or medicines. Prices are also climbing: popular plans on HealthCare.gov are up about 11% on average, and the most one person can be required to pay out of pocket rises to $12,000. Watch your mail for a notice from your insurer, log in when sign-up opens to compare plans yourself, and choose by Dec. 15 for coverage that starts Jan. 1. Free, licensed helpers are available through HealthCare.gov or your state's marketplace.
In 30 seconds
- Buying your own health insurance? Sign-up opens Nov. 1. If your insurer sent a letter saying it's leaving, don't let HealthCare.gov pick a replacement for you. Compare plans yourself and check that your doctors and drugs are covered.
- If your Medicare Advantage plan is ending, choose new coverage by Dec. 31 to avoid a gap. Free SHIP counselors in every state can help, and switching to Original Medicare now lets you buy a Medigap policy without the usual health questions.
- Flu hospitalizations are at their highest level for this time of year in more than 15 years, with seniors hit hardest. If you haven't had a flu shot, get one now, and ask about the higher-dose version if you're 65 or older.
- Bought the Ultimate Forza male supplement at a GNC franchise store? Stop taking it. It contains hidden prescription drug ingredients that can cause a dangerous blood pressure drop if you take heart medicines called nitrates.
Medicare & Seniors
Is your Medicare Advantage plan shutting down? What to do before Dec. 31
At least 2 million people are expected to lose their Medicare Advantage plan for 2027, and 193 counties, mostly rural, will have no Advantage drug plans at all. Some plans can cap sign-ups, so waiting could mean a plan is full. Check your mail or Medicare.gov for a closing notice, verify doctors and drugs directly with providers, and pick by Dec. 31 to avoid a gap. A special window stays open through Feb. 28.
NPRWant to see your 2027 Social Security raise early? Check online in late November
Personal notices showing your new benefit after the 3.6% COLA are mailed in December, but most people can read theirs sooner in the Message Center of their my Social Security account. To estimate now, multiply your gross monthly benefit by 1.036. Your actual deposit will depend on the 2027 Part B premium, which Medicare is expected to announce in November.
The Motley Fool
Insurance & ACA
New Jersey ACA plans rise nearly 20% on average for 2027
State regulators say individual-market rates will climb about 19.8% before subsidies, after a 15.9% jump this year. Increases range from about 15% at Horizon to nearly 36% at UnitedHealthcare. Enrollment through Get Covered New Jersey runs Nov. 1 through Jan. 31, so compare plans and check what state help you qualify for.
NJ Spotlight NewsColoradans can preview 2027 plans now; many with help could pay $10 or less
Individual premiums in Colorado are rising about 10% on average. About 60% of people who get financial help could find a plan for $10 a month or less, and three in four for $75 or less, if they shop around. An online preview tool already shows 2027 plans, deductibles and networks ahead of the Nov. 1 start.
Connect for Health Colorado
Medicines & FDA
Male supplement sold at GNC franchise stores recalled for hidden drugs
Tonight We Ride is recalling all lots of Ultimate Forza Male Supplement capsules after tests found undeclared sildenafil and tadalafil, the drugs in Viagra and Cialis, plus the antidepressant-class drug dapoxetine. Taken with nitrate heart medicines, the hidden ingredients can cause a dangerous drop in blood pressure. No injuries have been reported. Stop using it and return it to a GNC store for a refund.
FDAPatient dies in early trial of an experimental CAR-T therapy for multiple sclerosis
Bristol Myers Squibb reported that a participant in its Phase 1 study developed movement problems that didn't improve with standard treatment, later got septic pneumonia and died. The company says other complications the patient had make the cause hard to pin down. CAR-T treatments for autoimmune diseases remain experimental and are available only in clinical trials.
STAT
Staying Well
Flu hospitalizations hit their highest level for October since 2009
CDC's latest update shows the hospitalization rate is still low overall but higher than at this point in any season since the 2009 swine flu pandemic. Adults 65 and older are being hospitalized most, followed by those 50 to 64 and young children. Louisiana and Hawaii report moderate activity. Antiviral pills work best when started early, so call your doctor quickly if you get sick.
ABC NewsOfficials probe whether first Ebola cases in Kenya and Nigeria crossed paths at an airport
Nigeria's first patient and Kenya's first patient were both at Uganda's Entebbe airport on the same day, and investigators are checking for a link. Kenya now has nine confirmed cases and Nigeria has quarantined 44 close contacts. The outbreak that began in Congo in May has infected about 9,700 people and killed at least 4,600. No U.S. cases have been reported.
NPR
Policy & Law
Michigan launches an online tool to check Medicaid work rules
About 625,000 people are in the Healthy Michigan Plan, and adults 19 to 64 will need to show 80 hours a month of work, school or volunteering, or $580 in earnings, unless they qualify for an exemption. The rules start Jan. 1, with most current members first checked at renewals on or after March 1. The state's MI WEST screener shows whether you're exempt or already meet the rules.
Oakland County TimesState Medicaid chiefs trade notes with under 80 days until work rules start
Officials who oversee coverage for 73 million Americans met this week to share plans for the new requirements. A major worry is how to apply the exemption for people who are medically frail. If you're on Medicaid, keep your address current and answer any letters from your state quickly.
STAT
Hospitals & Business
Mass General Brigham is cutting its hospital-at-home program by more than half
An internal memo says the program, which has lost about $30 million a year, will shrink to no more than 30 patients from a capacity of 70 and pause at Salem, Newton-Wellesley and Faulkner hospitals. It will focus on Mass General and Brigham and Women's. Mass Eye and Ear will also stop general pediatric inpatient admissions by Jan. 1.
The Boston GlobeHorizon Blue Cross agrees to buy Summit Health and CityMD sites in New Jersey
Horizon is buying the state operations of the multispecialty group and its CityMD urgent care centers. The insurer says it aims to keep patients' access to care and support the doctors' independence. The price wasn't disclosed, and the deal needs regulatory approval.
ROI-NJ