What to Know for Wednesday, October 21st, 2026: |
1: UnitedHealthcare and Humana are ending Medicare Advantage plans that cover nearly 1 million people, so check whether your plan is one of them during open enrollment |
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(Image Credit: Getty Images) |
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About 390,000 UnitedHealthcare members and about 600,000 Humana members are losing their Medicare Advantage plans in 2027: UnitedHealth Group confirmed that roughly 390,000 members will be affected by plan closures. Humana’s CFO said about 600,000 people, roughly 8% of its nearly 7.2 million Medicare Advantage members, are in a plan that is ending. Both insurers are targeting the plans they consider less profitable, and Humana hopes to win back many of those members by moving them to other plans. Keeping your plan doesn’t guarantee the same coverage, since insurers are raising costs and narrowing networks: Experts say many plans are increasing cost-sharing, cutting dental and supplemental benefits, and shifting members into narrower networks. Plans with $0 premiums are also shrinking, and about 4 million standalone Part D drug plan enrollees who had $0 premiums last year won’t have them in 2027, though people with low incomes may still qualify for help. Compare your 2027 costs and benefits against other plans, not just last year’s. If your plan is ending, you must pick a new one or you may be switched automatically, so act before December 7: Check your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) letter and the Medicare Plan Finder at Medicare.gov, or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). Confirm your doctors, specialists, and prescriptions are covered by any plan you consider. Free help is also available through your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) at shiphelp.org.
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P.S. Need help getting on the best Medicare plan? Our partner Chapter Medicare says its advisors can compare 24,000+ plans for free and help you find one that could save you up to $1,200 a year. Call (539) 205-2147 or visit askchapter.org/insider. Expect longer hold times this time of year, since lines are busy. |
➜ Read the full article from Fortune here. |
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Free Medicare Help with Chapter |
90% of American seniors are on the wrong Medicare plan. Thankfully, Chapter is here to help! They can help you switch to the right plan and save $$$. Chapter saves the average senior $1,100 per year! Plus, it is 100% risk-free! Give them a call to find out how much you could save: 539-205-2147. |
askchapter.org/insider |
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2: Working part-time while on Social Security? The 2026 earnings limit is $24,480 before you lose benefits, so plan your hours around it |
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(Image Credit: AARP) |
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If you claim Social Security before full retirement age and keep working, benefits are reduced by $1 for every $2 you earn above $24,480 in 2026: The limit rises to $25,560 in 2027 for people who won’t reach full retirement age until 2028 or later. For example, earning $30,000 at age 65 would put you $5,520 over the cap and reduce your annual benefits by $2,760. The earnings test is more generous in the year you reach full retirement age, and the cap disappears once you reach it: In 2026, you can earn up to $65,160 before benefits are reduced, with $1 withheld for every $3 above that limit. That limit rises to $67,920 in 2027. Once you reach full retirement age (67 for anyone born in 1960 or later), there’s no cap, and Social Security later adjusts your benefit to repay the withheld amounts. Flexible, lower-hour jobs can help you stay under the cap, and many pay between $15 and $24 an hour: AARP highlights roles such as crossing guard, customer service representative, rideshare driver, event staffer, tutor, and tour guide, which often allow shifts you can control. Watch for job scams, since legitimate employers won’t ask you to pay for equipment, training, or background checks.
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➜ Read the full article from AARP here. |
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3: Social Security corrected nearly 50 million SSN records in the agency’s largest cleanup, adding death dates and citizenship data to fight fraud |
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(Image Credit: Getty Images) |
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The SSA has corrected almost 15% of active citizen SSN records, about 50 million of 330 million, since January 2025: The cleanup added 17 million death dates that were previously missing and updated about 25 million records with missing citizenship information. The agency is also correcting another 8.5 million records with inaccurate citizenship status. SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano calls the SSN database the country’s “books and records,” and says accuracy is essential to government services. Accurate death records help stop improper payments, and Treasury already used SSA data to block about $99 million meant for dead people: Federal agencies and states use SSA records to verify identities and administer benefit programs. Earlier this year, Treasury used the Full Death Master File to flag payments to deceased people before they went out. The Trump administration is tying the cleanup to its broader fraud crackdown, including a Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and a whistleblower program offering tip rewards. For you, the practical step is to confirm your own record is correct and watch for scams that exploit SSA news: Check your my Social Security account at ssa.gov to make sure your name, date of birth, and citizenship information match your records. SSA will never call to demand your Social Security number or payment to fix a record, so hang up on anyone who does, and report suspicious calls to the SSA Office of the Inspector General.
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➜ Read the full article from Fox Business here. |
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Here’s What You Missed on YouTube: |
Check out our new YouTube videos for Wednesday, October 21st. |
Medicare Changes Are Different This Year. 12 Medicare Groups, 1 Big Question: Which One Are You? |
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Medicare Changes Are Different This Year. 12 Medicare Groups, 1 Big Question: Which One Are You? |
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This newsletter is for information only. Always confirm your options directly with Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, or a qualified advisor before making big decisions about your benefits. |
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