New resources from KFF show early results from two states that rushed to implement Medicaid work and reporting requirements before H.R. 1’s deadline went into effect. Starting January 1, 2027, all sta...

This series from the Medicare Rights Center aims to delve into various policy ideas and their potential impacts on major health care programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act (ACA)...

In July 2025, the passage of H.R. 1 set into motion cuts to Medicaid totaling about $1 trillion over ten years. Some of them have already gone into effect (as of today, October 1, Medicaid eligibility...

Medicare’s annual Fall Open Enrollment (FOE) period runs October 15–December 7. During this time, people with Medicare can make certain changes to their coverage, like switching from Original Medicare...

New KFF polling focuses on the health care access and affordability challenges among adults with multiple or complex health conditions, including older Medicare beneficiaries. The results suggest impo...

Historically, Original Medicare (OM) uses very little prior authorization and has fewer barriers to accessing care than coverage through Medicare Advantage (MA). Starting in January of this year, the ...

The Aging & Disability Health Policy Lab, a nonpartisan venture dedicated to making health care and home- and community-based services (HCBS) more accessible, recently released model federal and state...

This week, Medicare Rights commented on a proposed rule that implements Medicare eligibility changes for certain immigrants under H.R. 1, the reconciliation bill Congressional Republicans passed last ...

Food insecurity for adults 50 and older rose after the pandemic. Now, H.R. 1’s cuts to public funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are pushing millions of people out of the...

A new report from the AARP Public Policy Institute (PPI) examines spending patterns and affordability challenges in households with low-income older adults. Examining data from the U.S. Bureau of Labo...

A recent analysis from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB) examines the latest projections on Medicare spending to warn of $1 trillion in possible Medicare Advantage (MA) overpayment...

Last week’s Consumer Price Index release from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics included some good news on prescription drug costs—showing a 3.1% decrease in prices from a year ago. This is the stee...

Earlier this year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) began requiring Medicare Advantage (MA) organizations to publicly report prior authorization data for use by people with Medicare,...

The mechanism by which people pay for Medicare has been the same since the program’s beginning over sixty years ago. Americans pay into the federal health care fund during their working years, and the...

A new independent research brief from academic experts examines the impacts of New York’s recent efforts to improve access to Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) and Medicaid for Medicare beneficiaries. ...

Last week, the Medicare Rights Center submitted comments on the Medicaid Community Engagement final rule which implements policies from HR 1 that create barriers and red tape for people with expansion...

A new KFF brief examines key trends shaping the Medicare spending landscape, including shifting demographics, enrollment patterns, and payment policies. Population Growth One driver in higher Medicare...

Sixty-one years ago this month, Medicare and Medicaid became law. In the decades since, the programs have changed and expanded to meet the health care needs of the population, reflect advancements in ...

On Tuesday, the Trump administration announced that it would end the Part D Premium Stabilization Demonstration at the end of 2026, a year earlier than originally envisioned. This program helped to ke...

YouTube video by Medicare Rights Center

Many Medicare Advantage (MA) plans will get a funding bump after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recalculated payments under the MA Quality Bonus Program (QBP). The move from CMS co...

A recent issue brief from The Commonwealth Fund examines how the 2025 reconciliation bill (H.R. 1) and the expiration of the enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits will affect states and the h...

Last month, U.S. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester, Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, along with 13 additional co-sponsors, introduced the Medicare ...

Today, the Senate voted on a measure (S.J. Res 198) to block the six-year Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) model. While it failed to pass (46-50), the vote highlights mounting conc...

Late last month, the federal government released the first set of data showing enrollment in Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans since the enhanced premium subsidies were allowed to expire at the end of l...

Last week, the Medicare Rights Center submitted comments to help guide implementation of the Requiring Enhanced and Accurate Lists of Health Providers Act (REAL Health Providers Act). This law, which ...

The Medicare Rights Center’s work touches all aspects of the Medicare program, including Original Medicare (OM), private Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D prescription drug plans, and supplemental co...

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG)—a watchdog agency—has released a second report on Medicare Advantage (MA) organizations denying coverage for ca...

A new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG)—a watchdog agency— finds Medicare Advantage (MA) plans overturn nearly all (95%) prior author...

On Tuesday, the Medicare Boards of Trustees released their mandatory annual report on the financial status of Medicare’s trust funds. Like last year’s findings, the trustees project that the Hospital ...

Starting in July 2026, some people with Medicare will be eligible for Medicare coverage of certain weight-loss medications through the new Medicare GLP‑1 Bridge Program. Background Under federal law, ...

A new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) found that Medicare may have overpaid Medicare Advantage (MA) plans by millions for unsupport...

For decades, policymakers across parties and administrations have publicly considered raising the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 67. Though no such change has ever made it into law, the proposal ...

As affordability concerns remain top of mind for many Americans, a timely KFF report examines Medicare beneficiary finances and health care costs, lending context to these anxieties. Recent KFF pollin...

May is Older Americans Month, an observance led by the Administration for Community Living to recognize the contributions of older Americans and bring awareness to the needs of older adults. A Key, Gr...

This week, the Supreme Court rejected appeals from pharmaceutical companies challenging the Medicare drug price negotiation program established by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The program e...

The Medicare Rights Center’s work touches all aspects of the Medicare program, including Original Medicare (OM), private Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D prescription drug plans, and supplemental co...

The Aging & Disability Health Policy Lab, a new venture supported by The SCAN Foundation, has drafted four model policies for states to simplify access to the Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs). The Lab...

The cost of health care across the country has risen continuously, with many seeing a sharp increase in premiums and other out-of-pocket costs in 2026. Medicare is no exception. Higher Part B premiums...

AARP has released a report that investigates the uptake and need for Caregiver Training Services (CTS). CTSs are a new addition to Medicare, allowing providers to get reimbursement for training family...