Open enrollment for the over-65 crowd began yesterday with most analysts predicting there will be a sharp dip in the number of seniors who choose privatized Medicare Advantage plans for 2026. That's good news for people worried about the program's fiscal health and the looming expiration of its trust fund, now slated for 2033. CMS paid MA plans an estimated $84 billion more than it would have had the 54% of all beneficiaries choosing MA plans in 2025 — the most ever — remained in traditional Medicare, according to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission. Why do experts predict many people will opt out next year? In part, it's because the three major insurers selling MA plans — UnitedHealth, Humana, and CVS Health's Aetna — have eliminated hundreds of counties, and in some cases, entire states from their plans. Despite the enormous profits they earn from MA, insurers complain rising prices and greater utilization are driving up their expenses (true) while the federal government is curtailing reimbursement (false). CMS's final MA payment rule, unveiled last April, showed private health plans will get an effective rate increase of 9% in 2026, which is several percentage points above inflation-adjusted economic growth rate.
In a social media landscape shaped by hashtags, algorithms, and viral posts, nurse leaders must decide: Will they let the narrative spiral, or can they adapt and join the conversation?
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