Healthcare news for October 26, 2026
Have a stand-alone Medicare drug plan? Don't let it auto-renew. Some premiums are jumping $50 a month or more If you have Original Medicare plus a separate Part D drug plan, 2027 is a year to shop carefully. Medicare is ending a temporary subsidy it paid to stand-alone drug plans, and KFF's analysis finds there will be no $0-premium plans next year for people who don't get Extra Help. That means about 4 million people who paid nothing this year will owe a premium. Choices are shrinking too: the typical beneficiary will have 9 stand-alone plans to pick from, down from 11. Members who stay in AARP Medicare Rx Preferred face increases of $50 or more a month in every state, though every area has cheaper options, and low-cost plans under $8 a month are offered in most states. The yearly cap on what you pay for covered drugs rises to $2,400, up from $2,100. Open your Annual Notice of Change, enter your exact drugs and pharmacy in the Medicare Plan Finder, and compare total yearly cost, not just the premium. Free SHIP counselors and 1-800-MEDICARE can help. You have until Dec. 7 to switch.
In 30 seconds
- On Original Medicare with a separate drug plan? Don't let it renew on autopilot. No $0-premium plans will be offered in 2027 for people without Extra Help, so compare your exact drugs and pharmacy in the Medicare Plan Finder before Dec. 7.
- Spend winters away from home? Medicare Advantage plans generally must drop you if you're outside their service area more than six months in a row. Check your plan's Evidence of Coverage for any traveler benefit before you go.
- If you bought red-eye or dry-eye drops labeled only in Spanish, such as Ocusan or Manzanilla Sophia, stop using them. The FDA says counterfeits are being sold and some tested positive for bacteria.
- Buying your own coverage in Pennsylvania, New Jersey or Delaware? Sign-up starts Saturday, and most people qualify for help. Update your income and compare plans rather than letting last year's plan roll over.
Medicare & Seniors
Snowbirds: your Medicare Advantage plan can drop you after six months away
Federal rules generally require an Advantage plan to disenroll members who stay outside its service area for more than six straight months, even if they haven't moved for good. Some plans offer a traveler benefit that stretches this to 12 months, but it varies by plan and state, and using out-of-network care doesn't pause the clock. If you are dropped, a special window opens to pick new coverage, and missing it can leave you without drug coverage.
24/7 Wall St.Thinking of skipping Medicare open enrollment? Take a look first
You can keep your current plan, but plans change their costs, drug lists and doctor networks every year. Reviewing your 2027 options before Dec. 7 could turn up a cheaper drug or Advantage plan, or reveal that your doctors are leaving your network. You can also use this window to move from Medicare Advantage back to Original Medicare.
The Motley FoolAt least 35 health systems are leaving some Medicare Advantage networks
Hospital systems including Kettering Health, Sentara and Mayo Clinic have dropped or are dropping contracts with major Advantage insurers such as UnitedHealthcare, Humana, Aetna and Anthem, often citing prior-approval denials and slow payment. If your doctors or hospital belong to one of these systems, confirm they will still be in network in 2027 before you choose a plan.
Becker's Hospital Review
Insurance & ACA
Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware open ACA sign-up on Nov. 1
Average 2027 premium increases range from about 1.4% to 35% on Pennsylvania's Pennie, depending on the plan, and about 15% to 36% in New Jersey. About 214,000 Pennsylvanians have dropped Pennie plans since last November, but officials say roughly nine in 10 buyers there qualify for savings. Pennsylvanians should enroll by Dec. 15 for Jan. 1 coverage; New Jersey's deadline for Jan. 1 is Dec. 31. Delaware uses HealthCare.gov.
WHYYFederal workers and retirees face another double-digit premium jump
The employee and retiree share of Federal Employees Health Benefits premiums will rise 10.9% on average in 2027, the third double-digit increase in a row, while Postal Service plan premiums rise 8.2%. Some plans are going up far more, and adding a family member now requires proof of eligibility. Open season runs Nov. 9 through Dec. 14, so compare plans before staying put.
Government Executive
Medicines & FDA
FDA warns of counterfeit eye drops sold in several Southern states
Fake versions of Ocusan and Manzanilla Sophia red-eye and dry-eye drops have turned up in Florida and Georgia, mostly in stores serving Spanish-speaking customers, and may be in Louisiana, Mississippi and North Carolina. Two products tested positive for bacteria, which can cause serious eye infections. Counterfeits have Spanish-only labels and no Drug Facts panel. Stop using them and see a doctor if you notice redness, discharge or pain.
FDAFirst once-a-week insulin approved for kids with type 2 diabetes
The FDA has cleared Awiqli, a long-acting insulin injected once weekly, for children 10 and older with type 2 diabetes, after approving it for adults earlier this year. Low blood sugar is the most common side effect and can be serious. Because it is dosed differently from daily insulins, families should double-check the dose on the pen before every shot.
FDANatural Grocers recalls organic mung beans over possible glass
Customers reported sharp glass pieces in 2-pound bags of Natural Grocers brand organic mung beans sold in 22 states, mostly in the West and Plains. Check for UPC 000080112600 and pack dates 26-160, 26-173, 26-196, 26-224 or 26-258. No injuries have been reported. Throw the beans away or return them for a refund.
FDA
Staying Well
U.S. measles cases reach 4,588, double all of last year
CDC data through Oct. 22 show 178 new cases in a week. About one in 10 patients has been hospitalized, rising to 16% among children under 5. Nearly all cases are in people who were unvaccinated or whose status is unknown. Two MMR doses are about 97% effective, so check your family's records and ask your doctor if anyone is missing a dose.
Contagion LiveWHO update: Ebola has now reached Kenya and Nigeria
The Congo outbreak has topped 9,700 confirmed cases and 4,600 deaths. Kenya has nine cases tied to one imported case, and Nigeria has one imported case in isolation. WHO rates the global risk as low and advises against travel bans. The strain involved has no approved vaccine or specific treatment. No U.S. cases have been reported.
World Health Organization
Policy & Law
House panel probes whether big PBMs targeted pharmacies with audits
The House Oversight Committee is investigating whether Optum Rx, CVS Caremark and Express Scripts sent extra audits to independent pharmacies that publicly backed a bill to change how pharmacies are paid in the federal employee health plan. The chairman cited one audit of a 99-cent drug that took staff hundreds of hours. CVS said it will respond; Optum Rx declined to comment.
Becker's Hospital ReviewWhy health care keeps getting harder to afford
U.S. health spending hit nearly $5.3 trillion in 2024, and the typical family spends about $5,600 a year, or 9% of income, on premiums, out-of-pocket costs and health taxes. Employer health costs are projected to rise 9.5% in 2027. People in the story cut bills by asking for self-pay rates and applying for hospital financial aid, which many nonprofit hospitals must offer.
KFF Health News
Hospitals & Business
Cleveland's University Hospitals cuts internet links after 'unusual activity'
The health system disconnected its systems from the internet on Oct. 22 while it investigates. MyChart and some other digital services are down, and some appointments and elective procedures were rescheduled. UH expects some disruption into this week. If you're a patient, call your doctor's office to confirm appointments and refills.
Cleveland 19 NewsIllinois hospital's trauma status under review after anesthesia group halts services
The anesthesia group at Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan stopped taking new cases in the ER, operating rooms, ICU and other units on Oct. 22, saying it hadn't been paid. State regulators are reviewing the hospital's level 2 trauma designation. The hospital says patients are transferred elsewhere when appropriate.
Becker's Hospital Review$150 million gift jump-starts Nevada's first standalone children's hospital
Ben and Felicia Horowitz have pledged $150 million toward an Intermountain Health children's hospital in southwest Las Vegas, one of the largest gifts ever to a U.S. children's hospital. Groundbreaking is planned this week, with opening expected in 2030. The money will help recruit pediatric specialists and expand behavioral health care for kids.
Becker's Hospital Review