US Policy Pulse

Massachusetts is preparing its five-year Section 1115 waiver proposal for MassHealth, due to CMS this year, with negotiations set for 2027 and...

• $1.992T deficit (6.2% of GDP) and $40T debt are driving 10-year yields to 5.1%, up 114 bps since February.
• Higher yields raise debt-servicing...

Extra Help slashes 2027 Part D costs for eligible people with limited income and savings.

• 2026 eligibility: Up to $23,940 income ($32,460 couple)...

Retirees planning 2027 spending must track out-of-pocket limits and deductibles, not just premiums, since CMS has yet to release key Part B figures.
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Updated IRS procedures simplify corrections for retirement plans and IRAs, cutting time and cost for simple mistakes.

• Plan sponsors use expanded...

Michigan's new MI WEST screening tool helps Healthy Michigan Plan enrollees identify exemptions or work requirements ahead of Jan. 1 changes.

• What...

• Administrative burdens from Medicare documentation, quality metrics, and payment rules dominate physician time, exceeding private insurance...

Democrats are pounding Republicans over nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid reductions in the One Big Beautiful Bill.

• GOP candidates claim "no actual...

Texas Medicare Advantage and drug plan holders who received non-renewal notices must enroll in a new plan during open enrollment, which began Oct. 15.

The Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Act of 2026, introduced October 24 by Reps. Bacon, Fitzpatrick, and Gluesenkamp Perez, targets U.S. policy on...

CMS has released the official 2027 Medicare Part D standard benefit parameters, raising costs for beneficiaries.

• Deductible: $700, up from $615 in...

A new DOJ memo weakens enforcement of the Olmstead integration mandate, signaling to states that they can cut community services for people with...

Healthfirst is suing CMS to overturn its 3.5-star 2027 Medicare Advantage rating, alleging the agency improperly used five measures never adopted...

• Missouri budgeted over $50 million to upgrade verification systems and add 121 contract staff ahead of work requirements for 360,000 expansion...

The Congressional Budget Reform Act of 2026 targets three areas:

• Budget procedures: Bundle 12 appropriations bills into four minibuses, add...

Implementing Medicaid 1115 waivers requires correctional facilities to integrate clinical care with eligibility verification, billing, compliance, and...

• The demonstration cut average stand-alone Part D premiums by $26 in 2025 and $13 in 2026 versus the 6% statutory cap alone, holding 2025 averages at...

Kettering Health patients enrolled in Anthem Medicare Advantage plans will lose in-network access starting January 1, 2027, unless they switch...

A Treasury auction for two-year government debt measures investor demand, with the resulting yield serving as a key indicator of short-term interest rate expectations.

Morningstar described softer-than-expected demand at the Oct. 21 20-year Treasury auction, a result that may reflect buyer caution for that specific sale without establishing any wider financing shift.