Healthcare news for November 3, 2026
Stand-alone Medicare drug plan premiums could jump about 50% in 2027 unless you switch If you get your Medicare drug coverage through a stand-alone Part D plan, check your mail and the Medicare Plan Finder before Dec. 7. A KFF analysis projects the average monthly premium for these plans will climb from about $34 to $51 next year for people who stay put, after CMS ended a federal subsidy pilot early. About 10.4 million enrollees without low-income help would pay more if they keep the same plan, including roughly 4 million people whose $0-premium plans no longer exist for 2027. Some popular plans are rising sharply: KFF found AARP Medicare Rx Preferred premiums going up $50 or more a month in every state. CMS projects a much smaller average increase of about $1, which KFF says likely assumes many people switch to cheaper plans. Deductibles are rising too, to an average of $643 for stand-alone plans. People in Medicare Advantage plans with drug coverage face much smaller changes. The fix for most people is simple: compare plans by your total yearly cost, including premiums, deductibles and what you pay for each of your medicines, and switch if a cheaper plan covers your drugs.
In 30 seconds
- In a stand-alone Medicare drug plan? Don't just let it renew. Enter your medicines in the Medicare Plan Finder at Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE before Dec. 7, and compare total yearly cost, not just the premium.
- Take generic atorvastatin 40 mg from Novadoz? Ask your pharmacist whether your pills came from recalled lots DRF09618A or DRG02110A. Don't stop a cholesterol medicine on your own.
- Flu is arriving early and hitting adults 65 and older hardest. If you haven't had your flu shot, get it now, since protection takes about two weeks to build, and call your doctor within two days of symptoms about antiviral pills.
- Buying your own insurance? Cigna is leaving all 11 of its ACA states, and other insurers are pulling out of some areas. If your plan is ending, pick a new one by Dec. 15 for coverage starting Jan. 1.
Medicare & Seniors
Houston's Memorial Hermann is ending its Medicare Advantage plan
Memorial Hermann Health Plan's Medicare Advantage coverage, offered in six Texas counties this year, won't be available in 2027. Members should read the plan's letter and choose new coverage by Dec. 31. Anyone who doesn't pick a plan will land in Original Medicare without drug coverage or a Medigap policy, so check that your doctors and hospitals take whatever you choose.
NewsweekWhich Medicare drug plans are rising the most for 2027
KFF found AARP Medicare Rx Preferred premiums rising $50 or more a month in all 50 states and D.C., and above $100 in four states. AARP Medicare Rx Saver jumps at least $50 in 33 states, and Humana Basic Rx members who paid nothing this year will pay roughly $6 to $31 a month. The average person will have 9 stand-alone plans to pick from, down from 11, but cheaper options exist everywhere.
KFF
Insurance & ACA
What to know as ACA premiums rise again
Benchmark silver premiums are projected to climb about 13% for 2027, about 42% higher than in 2025, after the extra federal subsidies expired. About 11 insurers are leaving at least one state's marketplace, including Cigna, which is exiting all 11 of its states and more than 350,000 customers. People earning over 400% of the poverty level no longer get any subsidy. Most states close enrollment Jan. 15.
ABC NewsMissouri posts final 2027 individual and small-business health rates
Missouri's insurance department says rates are going up again and that networks are changing for many plans. Every county has at least two insurers selling individual plans, and most have four or more. The department urges shoppers to check that their doctors and drugs are covered, compare total out-of-pocket costs, and enroll by Dec. 15 for Jan. 1 coverage.
News Tribune
Medicines & FDA
More than 13,000 big bottles of generic Lipitor recalled
Novadoz Pharmaceuticals is recalling 13,296 bottles of atorvastatin 40 mg tablets (1,000 pills each) made by MSL Laboratories in India, after other tablets or capsules were found mixed in. The FDA rated it a Class II recall. Affected lots are DRF09618A and DRG02110A. These large bottles go to pharmacies, so ask your pharmacist whether your supply was affected.
TheHealthy.com4.3 million tubes of kids' and adult fluoride toothpaste recalled
Toothpaste sold under Brush Buddies, Crayola, Hot Wheels, My Little Pony and other labels is being recalled for manufacturing-standard violations. The FDA rated it Class II, and no illnesses have been reported. Check the brand, lot and expiration date (November 2026 through June 2028) against the FDA notice, throw out matching tubes, and keep your receipt in case refunds are offered.
NBC NewsFDA approves first DNA-based treatment for a rare airway disease
The FDA gave accelerated approval to Inovio's Voceryq for adults with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, an HPV-caused condition that grows wart-like tumors in the airway and often requires repeated surgery. In its study, about a quarter of patients needed no surgery for a year. The company must still run a confirming trial.
FDA
Staying Well
CDC reports first child flu death of the season as hospital stays climb
The death, tied to H1N1, happened in early October. Nearly all flu A cases tested are H1N1, and most still match this year's vaccine well. CDC estimates at least 1 million illnesses and 900 deaths so far, and adults 65 and older have the highest hospital rate. Everyone 6 months and older should get a flu shot.
Medical DailyCongo's Ebola outbreak passes 10,000 cases as new U.S. flight rule begins
Congo has reported more than 10,000 confirmed cases and about 4,930 deaths, and Kenya has confirmed nine cases. Starting with flights leaving after 11:59 p.m. ET tonight through Dec. 18, every passenger flying to the U.S., Americans included, must sign a statement that they haven't been in Congo in the past 21 days. CDC says the risk to Americans stays low.
CIDRAP
Policy & Law
Employers will see what drug middlemen earn under a new federal rule
The Labor Department finalized a rule requiring pharmacy benefit managers that serve large self-insured employer plans to disclose rebates, drugmaker payments and the spread they keep on prescriptions, at contract time and every six months. It takes effect in July 2027, and regulators estimate $22 billion in savings for employers and workers over 10 years.
BioPharma DiveWhat last week's Medicaid 'medically frail' ruling means nationwide
A Georgetown health policy analysis says the federal judge's Oct. 29 decision wipes out CMS's extra 'significant impairment' test in every state, not just the 26 states and D.C. that sued. Those states also get a six-month pause on enforcement while they rebuild their systems. Work rules still start Jan. 1, and it's not yet known whether CMS will appeal.
Georgetown CCF
Hospitals & Business
Philadelphia-area Holy Redeemer Hospital files for bankruptcy and may be sold or closed
Redeemer Health filed for Chapter 11 on Nov. 1 and its board decided to sell or close the 239-bed hospital in Abington Township. It has missed bond payments and hasn't turned an operating profit since 2016. Care isn't expected to change right away, and patients are told to keep their appointments while sale talks continue.
Glenside LocalChildren's Mercy in Kansas City cuts 115 jobs
The children's hospital eliminated about 1.2% of its workforce, mostly administrative and support roles, and is moving about 473 billing and scheduling workers to an outside company, Ensemble Health Partners. It blamed rising costs and insurance payments that haven't kept pace. Families may notice billing and scheduling handled by a new vendor.
KCTV5TidalHealth closing rural Maryland primary care clinic Nov. 15
TidalHealth is shutting its Federalsburg clinic in Caroline County and moving patients to its offices in Bridgeville, Seaford, Delmar and Georgetown, at least a dozen miles away. If you're a patient, confirm where your records and next appointment are going and refill prescriptions before the switch.
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