Federal and state healthcare policy changes affecting access, benefits, eligibility, and care delivery.
Medicare’s 2026 physician payment rule may improve care coordination, telehealth, and home visits, but local staffing and practice finances still matter.
Some plans now have to post 2025 prior-authorization data. Here is what patients and clinicians can learn from the new CMS reports, and what they cannot.
Minnesota’s Medicaid funding deferral does not automatically end coverage. The closer short-term risk is provider payment strain, tighter oversight, and access friction.
FDA’s 2026 crackdown on mass-marketed compounded GLP-1s could tighten safety oversight but also shrink cheaper options for people struggling to afford approved drugs.
With semaglutide and tirzepatide shortages resolved, the FDA is tightening scrutiny of mass-marketed compounded GLP-1s. Here is what changed and what patients should ask now.
CMS has started a limited Original Medicare pilot in six states that uses technology vendors and clinician review for a narrow set of services. Here’s what WISeR does, what has not changed, how reviews and appeals work, and why some experts worry about delays.
ACA Marketplace sign-ups for 2026 came in below last year, and many households are paying more after tax credits. Here is what changed, who may still qualify to enroll, and what to do if your plan or subsidy looks wrong.
Certain Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, CHIP, and HealthCare.gov marketplace plans now have to post prior authorization data from 2025. Here’s what patients can check, what the numbers mean, and what the reports still leave out.
If you get Marketplace premium help in 2026, the financial stakes are higher than they were before. Extra pandemic-era subsidy boosts have ended, and for tax years after 2025 there is no repayment cap if you get too much advance premium tax credit. Here’s what that means, who should act now, and where to get help.
Many ACA Marketplace enrollees are paying more in 2026 after enhanced subsidies ended. If you already signed up, now is the time to verify premium payments, update your income information, and understand the risk of retroactive coverage loss or a tax-time payback.
Medicare has extended many telehealth flexibilities through 2026. Here’s what that means for receiving care at home, what’s covered, what you pay, and what could change next.
A new March 2026 report from MedPAC examines how Medicare payment policy is affecting rural hospital finances and the rise of Rural Emergency Hospitals. Here’s what it means for emergency access, maternity care, travel distances, and insurance coverage in rural communities.
The latest federal survey finds mental illness remains common in the U.S., especially among teens and young adults. Millions report serious symptoms each year, and many still do not receive treatment. Here’s what the newest data show—and what it means for families, insurance coverage, and when to seek help.
New FDA-approved obesity medications have changed treatment options—but Medicare’s long-standing drug coverage rules still shape who can access them. Here’s what adults and families should understand in 2026 about eligibility, costs, and policy limits.
CMS has finalized the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, updating how doctors are paid, refining telehealth rules, and adjusting quality programs. Here’s what those changes could mean for appointment access, costs, and care coordination.
The March 2026 MACPAC Report to Congress reviews Medicaid and CHIP enrollment after the COVID-19 unwinding, access to care challenges, managed care oversight, and federal–state financing pressures. Here’s what families should know.
CMS has finalized its 2026 payment rule for hospital outpatient departments and ambulatory surgery centers. Here’s what the changes mean for Medicare patients, hospital finances, and where you receive care.
Federal data show that primary care and mental health shortages remain widespread in 2026, especially in rural, tribal, and low-income communities. Here’s what a federal shortage designation means, how it affects wait times and emergency department use, and what’s being done to address the gaps.
New federal rules are rolling out in 2026–2027 to shorten prior authorization timelines, require clearer denial explanations, and move more requests online for certain Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, CHIP, and Marketplace plans. Here’s what’s changing — and what it means for patients.
Drug shortages remain a nationwide issue in early 2026. Here’s what it means when a medication appears on the FDA’s Drug Shortages list, how shortages differ from recalls, and what patients should do to protect their care.
The Indian Health Service plans to phase out mercury-containing dental amalgam fillings in its facilities by 2027. Here’s what federal agencies say about safety, who may be at higher risk, and whether patients need to remove existing fillings.
Enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits ended December 31, 2025. Here’s how 2026 Marketplace coverage works under the standard subsidy formula, who is most affected, what protections remain, and what families can do now.
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