Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Medicare Open Enrollment Kicks Off: Be Aware Of Plan Changes For 2025
Attention, Medicare Advantage enrollees: It鈥檚 a good idea to review your plans during open enrollment, which begins Tuesday, so you don鈥檛 get caught by surprise next year. Although the swiftly growing market remains stable overall, insurers are making a flurry of changes that could leave some senior citizens hunting for new policies, paying more out of pocket or getting skimpier supplemental benefits. (Luhby, 10/14)
However, just 30% of people on Medicare review their options every year, according to research from 麻豆女优, a provider of health policy research. 鈥淓very year, it makes sense to compare coverage options, because people鈥檚 needs change from one year to the next, and also plans make changes,鈥 said Tricia Neuman, executive director for the program on Medicare policy at 麻豆女优. 鈥淒oing these comparisons can make a big difference in terms of coverage and costs,鈥 she said. (Konish, 10/14)
The monetary consequences of sinking Medicare Advantage star ratings are real, and insurers have taken risky steps to steady their finances by tweaking plan design for next year that may or may not pay off. Yet market leaders UnitedHealthcare and Humana are likely to remain at the top of the heap. Competitors from national carriers such as CVS Health subsidiary Aetna and Elevance Health to regional insurers such as Highmark Health and Florida Blue will split the remainder. (Tepper, 10/14)
But it's Medicare Part D 鈥 the cost of prescription medications 鈥 that will see premiums rise by significant amounts in eight states for 2025. (Quiggle, 10/14)
There鈥檚 one question people over 65 will need to answer for the first time during Medicare Open Enrollment (Oct. 15 to Dec. 7): Should I sign up for the optional, new, and little-known Medicare Prescription Payment Plan for 2025? Like so many things about Medicare, making the decision is not simple. (Eisenberg, 10/14)
In other news 鈥
Medicare could be throwing away as much as $336 million worth of a costly Alzheimer's drug each year because the size of vials is too big, UCLA researchers estimate. The findings, published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine, add to questions around the coverage of Leqembi, an infusable $26,500-a-year drug that's only available in single-use 500- and 200-milligram vials. (Goldman, 10/15)
