Today Insurers reshape Medicare Advantage as drug costs and care concerns growGood morning. Big changes are underway in Medicare Advantage, the private version of Medicare. HCSC is cutting back its plans after a deal with Cigna (17), and Molina is leaving the program entirely in three states (25). At the same time, Curana Health is starting a brand-new senior plan in Iowa (13). If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, it is worth checking whether yours will still be offered next year. Money worries are in the news too. One report describes a sudden jump in what some people pay for Medicare drugs (19), and there is fresh talk about the cost of a national "Medicare for All" plan (24). There were also hard stories about care. A nursing aide in New Jersey admitted to spraying bleach in the face of a paralyzed patient (23), and a family in Illinois finally got a refund from an assisted living home after a five-month wait (6). These are reminders to stay watchful and ask questions. |