News for families planning care

Mitigating the Harms of Medicaid Work Requirements for Older Adults: Tools for State Advocates (opens Justice in Aging in a new tab)

States can help people keep their Medicaid coverage by reducing paperwork and allowing them to self-report health conditions and caregiving responsibilities as exemptions from work requirements. The post Mitigating the Harms of Medicaid Work Requirements for Older Adults: Tools for State Advocates a…

Thousands of Medicare Beneficiaries Thought Their Drug Plan Was Free. Then They Lost It. (opens KFF Health News — Aging in a new tab)

Thousands of people who had a Medicare drug plan with zero-dollar premiums last year got small premium increases this year — and didn’t know it. They were dropped from their coverage for failing to pay amounts as little as $8, and most can’t get it again until 2027.

Medicare Advantage Insurers Deny Prior Authorization Requests for Post Acute Care at Substantially Higher Rates Than the Overall Denial Rate (opens KFF — Medicare policy in a new tab)

Two recent reports find that Medicare Advantage organizations deny prior authorization requests for long-term care hospital, inpatient rehabilitation hospital, and skilled nursing facility stays at higher rates than requests overall. When these decisions are appealed, they are frequently overturned,…

Nearly Four Million Medicare Beneficiaries Could Be Eligible for the Temporary Medicare GLP-1 Bridge Program Covering These Drugs for Weight Loss (opens KFF — Medicare policy in a new tab)

This news release highlights that a KFF analysis finds that 3.8 million Medicare beneficiaries met the criteria to be eligible for the new Medicare GLP-1 Bridge, based on claims data from 2023. The temporary program will provide coverage of three GLP-1 drugs used for weight reduction and weight mana…

Nearly Four Million Medicare Beneficiaries Met the Eligibility Criteria in 2023 for the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge (opens KFF — Medicare policy in a new tab)

Medicare has launched a temporary program covering GLP-1s for obesity for people with Medicare, known as the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge. This analysis estimates the number of Medicare Part D enrollees who could potentially qualify for the Bridge program by meeting all of the eligibility criteria, based o…

From DC: Take Action on HUD's LGBTQ+ Proposal, New Medicare Savings Bill, and more (opens Justice in Aging in a new tab)

In this week's edition: Take Action on HUD's LGBTQ+ Proposal, New Medicare Savings Bill, and more. The post From DC: Take Action on HUD's LGBTQ+ Proposal, New Medicare Savings Bill, and more appeared first on Justice in Aging .

Medicaid and CHIP Monthly Enrollment (opens KFF — Medicaid policy in a new tab)

The Medical Frailty Exemption from Medicaid Work Requirements: Key Takeaways from the CMS Interim Final Rule (opens KFF — Medicaid policy in a new tab)

This brief describes new guidance and potential challenges states will face in operationalizing the medical frailty exemption.

Medicare Advantage in 2026: Enrollment Update and Key Trends (opens KFF — Medicare policy in a new tab)

More than half (55%) of eligible Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in Medicare Advantage in 2026. To better understand trends in the growth of the Medicare Advantage program, this brief provides current information about enrollment, including by plan type and firm

Medicaid Changes in House and Senate Reconciliation Bills Would Increase Costs for 1.3 Million Low-Income Medicare Beneficiaries (opens KFF — Medicare policy in a new tab)

On May 22, the House passed a reconciliation bill, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which would partially pay to extend expiring tax cuts by cutting Medicaid. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the bill would reduce federal Medicaid spending by $793 billion over ten years and 10.3 m…

What to Know About the BALANCE Model for GLP-1s in Medicare and Medicaid and the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge (opens KFF — Medicare policy in a new tab)

This brief describes current coverage of GLP-1s in Medicare and Medicaid, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) efforts to expand access and lower costs for GLP-1s through temporary demonstration programs including the BALANCE Model, and potential impacts on beneficiaries and progr…

A New Medicare Option for Weight Loss Drugs: What Older Americans Should Know (opens KFF Health News — Aging in a new tab)

It may soon get easier for millions of people with Medicare to get discounted GLP-1 drugs for weight loss.