Latest Medicare News

Walgreens books hefty charge as the drugstore chain adjusts the value of struggling clinics

Mar. 28, 2024 12:24 PM EDT

Walgreens lost nearly $6 billion in its second quarter mainly due to a drop in value for the VillageMD clinic business it controls. Excluding that charge, the drugstore chain reported results Thursday that topped Wall Street expectations. Walgreens spent more than $5...

Medicare can pay for obesity drugs like Wegovy in certain heart patients

Mar. 21, 2024 16:44 PM EDT

Medicare can pay for the popular weight-loss drug Wegovy — as long as the patients using it also have heart disease and need to reduce the risk of future heart attacks, strokes and other serious problems, federal officials said Thursday. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid...

Kate Ashford: Can you afford health care in retirement?

Mar. 04, 2024 07:02 AM EST

At age 65, some couples may need as much as $413,000 to cover health care costs in retirement, according to a January report from the Employee Benefit Research Institute. That’s an extreme case, representing two people with high prescription drug costs — but it’s not outside the realm of...

Are you in the wrong Medicare Advantage plan? What to review now

Feb. 14, 2024 09:08 AM EST

Many people choose Medicare Advantage plans without exploring their options or noticing what changes their plan may have made, according to research from KFF, a health policy nonprofit. But now that a new year has started, you may realize the plan you picked during Medicare’s fall open enrollment...

CVS Health grows more cautious about 2024 as it deals with rising Medicare Advantage costs

Feb. 07, 2024 10:03 AM EST

Busy Medicare Advantage businesses have CVS Health and other insurance providers spooked about the new year. The health care giant said Wednesday that it was scaling back already cautious expectations for 2024 as it tries to understand why costs keep rising from the privately run...

Cigna trims portfolio by selling Medicare business for $3.7 billion to Health Care Service Corp.

Jan. 31, 2024 14:43 PM EST

The Cigna Group will sell its Medicare business to another insurer, Health Care Service Corp., for about $3.7 billion. Cigna said Wednesday the deal includes its Medicare Advantage insurance, a supplemental benefits business and Medicare prescription drug coverage. Medicare Advantage...

Late-year medical costs spike forces Humana to scale back profit expectations for 2023

Jan. 18, 2024 11:03 AM EST

Shares of Humana tumbled Thursday after the health insurer said it was dealing with higher-than-expected costs from its Medicare Advantage customers, forcing it to chop profit expectations. The update from Humana arrived less than a week after rival UnitedHealth Group surprised Wall...

Editorial Roundup: Minnesota

Jan. 10, 2024 13:16 PM EST

Mankato Free Press. January 7, 2024. Editorial: Women’s pro hockey a welcome addition to Minnesota It was no ordinary victory when the hockey game ended with a score of 3-2. The win for the Minnesota women’s professional team against Boston on...

Do I really need supplemental insurance (Medigap) with Medicare?

Jan. 10, 2024 13:02 PM EST

About 41% of Original Medicare beneficiaries had Medicare Supplement Insurance, or Medigap, in 2021, according to a February 2023 report summarizing enrollment data from AHIP, a national health insurance trade association. For the other 59%, Medicare has some “gaps” that could be costly. ...