2026 Could Bring Higher Health Insurance Costs for Millions of Americans
The costs of at least 350 drugs in the U.S. are expected to rise in 2026, according to a new analysis, despite many of the drugmakers pledging to offer more favorable prices under new Trump administration policies.

New data from the health care research firm 3 Axis Advisors, first reported by Reuters, found that a higher number of drugs would see price increases next year compared with last year, when more than 250 drugs were slated for markups.

President Donald Trump had floated a solution to ease the situation, but severe conservative backlash forced him to go back on his words. The Fox report states that there is a bipartisan plan in talks that seeks a three-year extension of the subsidies. It is similar to the Democrats’ plan, which is up for a vote in the House later this month. However, it would not be wise to pin one’s hopes on that vote… (Continue to full article)

US Drug Prices to Climb Again in 2026, Affecting 350 Branded Medicines
US drug prices are set to rise again in 2026, with drugmakers planning increases on at least 350 branded medicines, according to new data from healthcare research firm 3 Axis Advisors.

The planned hikes will affect vaccines for COVID, RSV, and shingles, as well as major treatments like Pfizer’s cancer drug Ibrance, raising concerns for patients already paying some of the highest drug prices in the world.

The data shows the number of planned price increases is higher than last year.

At the same point in 2025, companies planned hikes on just over 250 drugs. For 2026, the median increase is about 4%, similar to this year, ET reported. These listed prices do not include rebates or discounts that drugmakers later negotiate with insurers or pharmacy benefit managers. The increases come even as President Trump continues to pressure pharmaceutical companies to lower US drug prices to levels closer to those in other wealthy countries.

Americans often pay nearly three times more for prescription medicines than patients in other developed nations… (Continue to full article)

Prescription Auto-Refills Are Switching Quantities Without Approval
If you opened your mail-order pharmacy box this month only to find a 30-day supply of your maintenance meds instead of your usual 90-day bottle, you’ve hit a 2026 “Quantity Limit” wall. Across the country, prescription auto-refills are switching quantities without explicit patient approval, leaving many seniors to manage three times as many shipments. This isn’t a mistake by the pharmacist; it is a direct result of new 2026 insurance quantity limit policies designed to control costs as the new $2,000 Part D out-of-pocket cap goes into full effect. By shortening your supply, insurers can more closely monitor your “adherence” and reduce the financial risk of “wasted” medication that occurs when a patient’s dosage changes mid-quarter.

For those taking pain management or ADHD medications, the auto-refill switching quantities rules are even more stringent. New 2026 controlled substance regulations often cap initial fills at 30 days, even if a doctor writes for 90, to prevent “stockpiling” and diversion. If your state’s law or your pharmacy’s policy has updated its “Safety Edits” for the new year, the pharmacist is legally required to “auto-adjust” your quantity downward to comply with the most restrictive rule. This is part of a broader 2026 push to treat every controlled substance refill with the same scrutiny as a brand-new prescription.

The shift in auto-refills switching quantities is a frustrating “stealth change” that impacts your time, your budget, and your peace of mind. While insurers argue that 30-day fills reduce waste and improve safety, the reality for many seniors is a year filled with more trips to the pharmacy and more paperwork. By understanding the “75% rule” and proactively filing for “Quantity Limit Exceptions,” you can restore your 90-day supply and reduce the stress of your monthly medication management. Don’t let an “auto-adjust” algorithm dictate how you manage your health and your time in the new year… (Continue to full article)

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AARP Sounds the Alarm on Social Security and Medicare in 2026
As 2026 approaches, millions of Americans preparing for retirement are facing crucial updates to two of the nation’s most important safety-net programs: Social Security and Medicare. Advocacy group AARP, representing over 120 million Americans age 50 and older, has delivered a clear message: benefits are changing, costs are rising, and retirees need to understand what it all means for their financial future.

While Social Security benefits are increasing, Medicare premiums are rising even faster, and for many retirees, that means less net income despite the COLA

The standard monthly premium for Medicare Part B — which covers doctor visits and outpatient care — will jump from $185 in 2025 to $202.90 in 2026, an increase of nearly 10%. The annual deductible for Part B also rises to $283.

These increases can significantly erode the effective value of the Social Security COLA, especially since many beneficiaries have their Medicare premiums deducted directly from their benefit checks… (Continue to full article)

UnitedHealth Boots 1 Million Seniors in a Medicare Shakeup Not Seen in 20 Years
UnitedHealth’s decision to push roughly one million seniors out of its Medicare Advantage products marks a break from the incremental tweaks that usually define this market. For older Americans who built their budgets and care relationships around these plans, the shift is not an abstract business story but a direct hit to how they will access doctors, drugs, and hospitals next year. I see it as the clearest sign in two decades that the balance of power between giant insurers and aging consumers is tilting again, and not in favor of retirees.

When a company the size of UnitedHealth moves, the ripple effects rarely stay contained, and the projected loss of roughly one million Medicare Advantage members is closer to a tidal surge than a wave. Executives have signaled that Medicare Advantage enrollment will shrink by about 1 million people, a figure that reflects both members being pushed out of nonrenewed plans and others walking away from slimmer benefits.

In practical terms, that means hundreds of thousands of households will be forced to re-shop coverage, re-check drug formularies, and re-learn which doctors are in network, all at an age when administrative friction can be as punishing as a medical bill… (Continue to full article)

Here’s What To Know And Symptoms

A new flu variant known as subclade K is on the rise across the country. Although a spike in this particular strain of influenza, referred to by some as a “super flu,” has been recorded, symptoms remain similar to the most common form of flu called influenza A. Doctors say vaccination is the best way to avoid hospitalization or complications for those at risk. Continue reading →

Coffee is many people’s favorite way to start their day. In fact, according to the National Coffee Association, nearly 66% of American adults drink at least one cup of coffee every day. But before you reach for that steaming mug, it’s a good idea to talk about how coffee interacts with certain medications.

Caffeine can provide a temporary energy boost, but it can also change the way some medicines work within your body-sometimes in surprising and even profound ways.

From jitters to how your body absorbs certain drugs, the combination of coffee and medication is something not to be taken lightly. Here are 11 common medications that one must have with caution when paired with that morning brew. Continue reading →

The order you eat your food in also matters. Start with the most fibrous foods first, like your leafy greens, then fats and proteins, and end on carbs.

It’s not just sugary sweets and fizzy drinks that can send our blood sugar levels through the roof.

Carbs such as bread, pasta and potatoes, plus some fruits and vegetables, can have the same effect, increasing the risk of a number of serious health issues, an anti-sugar campaigner warns the Daily Mail.

Health coach Steve Bennett, who has just released a new book, Sugar Tolerance, says: ‘Our body is designed to deal with moderate and infrequent sugar spikes. Continue reading →

Dr. Jeremy London, a heart surgeon, shared the top four things people should avoid after they turn 40 for heart disease prevention

While heart health is important at any age, it is particularly crucial to maintain your cardiovascular health later in life, as the risk of heart disease increases with age. Continue reading →

Discovery that clopidogrel is a more effective blood thinner could transform health guidelines worldwide

Doctors have found a drug that is better than aspirin at preventing heart attacks and strokes, in a discovery that could transform health guidelines worldwide.

For decades, millions of people have been advised to take aspirin to reduce their risk of experiencing a serious cardiovascular event. A daily low-dose aspirin makes blood less sticky and helps prevent heart attacks and strokes. Continue reading →

Your poop reveals key clues about your health — here are a few red flags to keep an eye on.

The next time you go number two, you should take a peek in the toilet. (You should actually be doing this after every bowel movement, doctors say.)

While certain things such as blood in your poop and frequent diarrhea are known red flags, it turns out that whether your poop floats or sinks in the toilet bowl matters for your health.

Generally, stools that sink mean one thing while stools that float can mean a whole host of other things (and most of these things aren’t good). Continue reading →

Trump pressures 17 pharma CEOs to cut US drug prices

New research reveals the Inflation Reduction Act’s $2,000 cap may not help most Medicare beneficiaries as insurers raise drug costs and deductibles. Image (c) ConsumerAffairs

President Donald Trump sent letters to the leaders of 17 major pharmaceutical companies outlining how they should slash U.S. prescription drug prices to match those paid overseas, the White House said on Thursday.

Trump signed a sweeping executive order in May demanding drugmakers cut U.S. medicine prices to match those abroad, saying that if companies did not comply, the government could use rulemaking to bring prices down or pursue other measures, such as importing cheaper medicines from overseas.

Trump sent the letters to the chief executives of Eli Lilly (LLY.N), opens new tab, Sanofi (SASY.PA), opens new tab, Regeneron (REGN.O), opens new tab, Merck & Co (MRK.N), opens new tab, Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N), opens new tab, and AstraZeneca (AZN.L), opens new tab, among others, after industry proposals on implementing his order fell short, the president said. Copies of the letters were posted on his Truth Social account.

Shares of Pfizer (PFE.N), opens new tab and Eli Lilly dropped about 2% each, while the NYSE Arca Pharmaceutical Index (.DRG), opens new tab was down 2.4%.

Trump called on drugmakers to provide so-called most-favored-nation prices to every patient enrolled in the government Medicaid health program for low-income people, and to guarantee such pricing for new drugs…. (Continue to full article)

A Big Change Is Coming To Medicare In 2026
To combat fraud and cut costs, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will launch a new pilot program In 2026 that will delay some treatments for retirees and other Medicare recipients. Currently, most treatments are performed for patients on Medicare prior to any approvals from CMS. However, starting in 2026, medical providers that choose to participate in CMS’ new program, the Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction Model or WISeR, will instead hold off on providing services until after they receive approval from CMS — who has stated the program will consult with AI, medical professionals, and machine learning programs — to see if the treatment in question is deemed necessary.

The purpose of this program, and pre-screening process, is to slash wasteful and fraudulent spending, which represents up to 25% of health care spending in the United States, per CMS, which amounted to up to $5.8 billion in 2022.

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation listed 17 specific treatments that will be targeted under the WISeR program. This includes five stimulator services such as deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s Disease and Urinary Incontinence, two skin and tissue substitutes related to wounds in the lower extremities, as well as lavage (visually guided saline injections) and debridement procedures related to treating osteoarthrosis of the knee. Steroid injections for pain management, cervical fusions, incontinence control devices, and treatment of impotence will also be scrutinized… (Continue to full article)

8 “Safe” Prescription Drugs That Are Quietly Wrecking Your Health
Prescription drugs are supposed to heal the body and ease suffering, but what happens when the cure quietly chips away at well-being? Every year, millions of people trust medications that promise relief from pain, anxiety, insomnia, or chronic conditions. Yet hidden beneath the fine print and doctor’s notes are side effects that can linger for years or even cause new, unexpected health issues.

What often starts as a short-term fix can end up becoming a long-term battle against fatigue, dependence, or organ damage. Here are eight “safe” prescription drugs that deserve a closer look before the next refill is picked up from the pharmacy… (Continue to full article)

The Cause of Alzheimer’s Might Be Coming From Within Your Mouth
In recent years, an increasing number of scientific investigations have backed an alarming hypothesis: Alzheimer’s disease may not be merely a condition of an aging brain, but the product of infection.

While the exact mechanisms of this infection are something researchers are still trying to isolate, numerous studies suggest the deadly emergence of Alzheimer’s goes way beyond what we used to think.

One such study, published in 2019, suggested what could be one of the most definitive leads yet for a bacterial culprit behind Alzheimer’s, and it comes from a somewhat unexpected quarter: gum disease.

Watch the video below for a summary of their study:

(Continue to full article)