There are troubling new signs that the overhaul of Medicare drug coverage in the Inflation Reduction Act is dramatically driving up program spending. Why it matters: The upward trajectory could threaten some seniors' coverage for outpatient prescription drugs — and it could force painful tradeoffs over the next decade as Medicare consumes a growing share of the nation's debt. Follow the money: The IRA limited what seniors have to pay for outpatient drugs and shifted the remaining cost to taxpayers, insurers who provide stand-alone Medicare drug plans and drug manufacturers. - That was good news for enrollees who take expensive drugs for conditions like cancer, multiple sclerosis or rheumatoid arthritis and faced potentially crushing…
In 2026, 55% of those with Parts A and B used Medicare Advantage. Program spending was about $1.21 trillion in 2025 and near $1.3 trillion in 2026, up from $666 billion a decade earlier.
New legislation prioritizing British-trained doctors for specialty training has significantly shifted opportunities away from overseas-trained medics.
New legislation prioritizing British-trained doctors for specialty training has significantly shifted opportunities away from overseas-trained medics. PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: New legislation prioritizing British-trained doctors for National Health Service (NHS ) specialty training posts has sharply reduced the number of overseas-trained medics securing places, according to an analysis by the Nuffield Trust. The changes, introduced in March under former Health Secretary Wes Streeting , were designed to put “homegrown talent” ahead of overseas candidates amid growing competition for medical training positions. DETAIL: Specialty training applications increased more than fivefold over the decade to 2025, reaching almost 85,000…Open
Employer health insurance costs are expected to spike by 8.2%, the highest costs in decades, according to a survey conducted by Marsh. The price increase is caused by hospital consolidation, specialty and GLP drugs, and high-cost claimants.
A new U.S. survey anticipates an average increase of 11 percent unless benefits are cut, the highest rate in decades. Other findings also predict a sharp rise.
