The big news today is Costco. The warehouse retailer is stepping into Medicare for the first time, partnering to sell health plans and shape the senior care experience. Several reports look at what this means for shoppers, for competition, and for Costco's own value as a company.

Medicare stayed in the spotlight in other ways too. One study found that many sicker Medicare Advantage members, including nursing home residents, are switching back to traditional Medicare. Doctors warned that a proposed Medicare cut could limit seniors' access to specialty care, and a court again sided against a drugmaker fighting Medicare's lower drug prices.

In senior living, companies kept growing and building. There were new mergers, rebrands, and construction projects, including a memory care shift toward smaller, home-like settings. A separate study also found that telemedicine did not reduce hospital visits from nursing homes.