Medicare open enrollment is underway as big insurers exit Advantage plans͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ | | | | Today Medicare open enrollment is underway as big insurers exit Advantage plansGood morning. Medicare's fall open enrollment is in full swing, and news outlets are urging older adults to check their coverage before it changes. Several reports explain what to watch for and why Medicare Advantage plans shift in cost and coverage from year to year. The timing matters. Two reports say major insurers are pulling back from Medicare Advantage, with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas leaving and UnitedHealthcare splitting from some Florida and Texas health systems. Separate coverage looks at how next year's $75 cost-of-living raise interacts with the Part B premium increase, and how the hold-harmless rule decides how much you keep. Other stories round out the day: a Wisconsin agency has stopped listing nursing home owners publicly, a report flags unspent nursing home penalty funds, and towns from Michigan City to Kure Beach are hosting free sessions to help people sort through Medicare and Medicaid. |
What we're tracking | • | Health & Wellness Researchers have introduced a new metabolic score that may help predict healthy aging and disease risk, while the Schneps Healthy Aging Expo gathered older adults, caregivers, and experts. Health specialists also note that AI chatbots can serve as a useful resource when approached with informed skepticism. Read it |
| • | Money & Retirement A new study finds that building retirement savings remains a challenge across every generation, while Federal Reserve figures show average balances rising with age. One contributor also warns that taxing wealth could eventually extend to retirement savings. Read it |
| • | Caregiving & Family The rising cost of caregiving is drawing attention today, along with a troubling story about a hired caregiver misusing a father's debit card. Another piece turns the focus toward supporting caregivers themselves. Read it |
| • | Technology & Online Safety A new industry report finds many older adults in home health are open to using AI voice technology, with most interested in receiving reminders. In another story, Canterbury School students are helping older adults around the world learn to use technology. Read it |
| • | Medicare, Social Security & Benefits Medicare open enrollment is bringing fewer Medicare Advantage plan choices in Illinois, while next year's Part B premium increase will take a share of the $75 cost-of-living raise before it reaches many Social Security checks. Read it |
| • | Senior Living & Housing A new report finds that senior living providers are getting creative as affordability pressures and financing changes reshape the field, while services like CarePatrol work to help families find the right housing. Read it |
| • | Food & Nutrition Today's stories look at the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program and the challenge of food insecurity among older adults, along with how nutritional needs shift later in life and the ways they can be met. Read it |
| • | Travel & Leisure Today's travel stories highlight common airport security missteps older travelers make, a ranking of the 20 best countries for retirees with one topping the list for safety, walkability, and food, and a look at ten charming, affordable U.S. small towns. Read it |
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Sources New metabolic score may help predict healthy aging and disease risk — News-Medical Schneps Healthy Aging Expo presented by VillageCareMAX brings together older adults, caregivers and health experts — QNS.com AI chatbots can be a valuable health resource for older adults – if they embrace ‘informed skepticism’ — The Conversation Contributor: Taxing wealth is a dangerous step toward taxing retirement savings — Los Angeles Times Retirement Savings Struggles Hit All Generations, Study Finds — 401k Specialist Average Retirement Savings by Age, According to the Fed: Under 35 ($48,400), 35–44 ($182,400), 45–54 ($415,800), 55–64 ($670,200) — Yahoo Finance What’s gone up even faster than gas or rent? The cost of caregiving — NPR ‘There’s a lot of hurt between us’: My father’s caregiver is using his debit card for DoorDash orders. What can I do? — MarketWatch Post From Community: Caring for the Caregiver — Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service Seniors in home health willing to engage with AI voice technology, industry report finds — McKnights Home Care Seniors Open to AI Voice Care: 89.3% Want Reminders [2026] — shattered.io Canterbury School seniors teach older adults how to use technology internationally — Gulf Coast News and Weather Illinois seniors face fewer Medicare Advantage choices this open enrollment season — Chicago Tribune Opinion | Dr. Oz’s new Medicare proposal would be bad news for rural seniors — MS NOW Medicare’s Part B Increase Comes Out of Your $75 COLA First. The Hold-Harmless Rule Decides How Much You Keep — 24/7 Wall St. Affordability pressures, financing shifts mean senior living providers must be creative: report — McKnight's Senior Living Theo Awards 2026: In Conversation with Benchmark Senior Living — Risk & Insurance Navigating Senior Living with Ease: How CarePatrol Helps Families Find Peace of Mind — WILX What Is the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program? — The National Council on Aging (NCOA) Get the Facts on Food Insecurity and Older Adults — The National Council on Aging (NCOA) |
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