Health

Newsweek -  On November 14, CMS shared that those using Medicare Part A - which covers inpatient hospital, skilled nursing facility, hospice, inpatient rehabilitation, and some home health care services - will see their inpatient hospital deductibles increasing from $1,676 to $1,736. That inpatient deductible covers beneficiaries’ costs for the first 60 days of Medicare-covered inpatient hospital care in a benefit period. 

Part A beneficiaries will also now pay a coinsurance amount of $434 per day for the 61st through 90th day of a hospitalization, up from $419 in 2025, in a benefit period. They will also have to pay $868 per day for lifetime reserve days, which has increased from $838 in 2025.

For Part A recipients in skilled nursing facilities, the daily coinsurance for days 21 through 100 of extended care services in a benefit period will now be $217 in 2026, up from $209.50 in 2025. 

Other changes include that individuals who had at least 30 quarters of coverage, or were married to someone with at least 30 quarters of coverage, will see the reduced monthly premium rate increase to $311 in 2026.

Those who have fewer than 30 quarters of coverage, or those with disabilities who have exhausted other entitlements, will pay the full premium, which will be $565 a month in 2026, a $47 increase from 2025. 

Medicare Part B - the plan which covers physicians’ services, outpatient hospital services, certain home health services, durable medical equipment, and certain other services not included in Part A - is also experiencing changes next year.

The standard monthly premium for Medicare Part B enrollees will be $202.90 for 2026, an increase of $17.90 from $185 in 2025, while the annual deductible for all Medicare Part B beneficiaries will be $283 in 2026, an increase of $26 from the annual deductible of $257 in 2025. 

CMS said that this increase in costs was mainly due to the "projected price changes and assumed utilization increases that are consistent with historical experience."

Since 2007, those using Medicare Part B have had their monthly premium based on their income, so this means that those with higher incomes will be paying higher monthly premiums.

The $202.90 premium amount applies to those who file individual tax returns with a modified adjusted gross income of less than or equal to $109,000.

Premiums increase to as high as $689.90 for those with a modified adjusted gross income of greater than or equal to $500,000.

NBC News -  Almost half of adults, 47%, said they're worried they won't be able to afford health care next year — the highest level since West Health and Gallup began tracking in 2021, the survey found. The findings come as the cost of health care has become a central issue in politics. Senate Democrats' push to extend enhanced subsidies for the Affordable Care Act led to the longest government shutdown in history. The ACA tax credits, which have protected people from double-digit premium increases, are set to expire Dec. 31. Republicans blocked the effort, and the Trump administration has vowed to "fix Obamacare" but has yet to release a detailed plan.  Read the full story.

NPR - More people in their 20s are getting preventive Botox — known as “baby Botox,” lower-dose treatments administered around once or twice a year, which is less than those for midlife adults. The small doses block nerve signals to the muscle. Here's what's behind the trend:

💉 Pandemic-era screen time meant that people were doing more self-comparisons and looking at curated images of other people on video calls and social media.  
💉 Celebrities and influencers promote cosmetic procedures, further normalizing the treatments.
💉 “Ageless” beauty is seen as a "status symbol" in today's society. Young women say the treatments show that they were able to invest in themselves at a very early age.
💉 The treatments can be addictive due to the fact that once you stop getting the injections, the effects wear off and wrinkles reappear.