Today

Medicare Open Enrollment opens as fraud crackdown and lab-payment cuts land

Good morning. Medicare Open Enrollment is here again, and much of today's news is about helping you get ready. Several stories offer free counseling and simple checklists, and others warn that scammers often pose as Medicare during this season. If someone calls asking for your Medicare number, hang up and check with a trusted source first.

Washington is also busy. A federal task force says it will remove about 750,000 enrollments it calls fraudulent, and Medicare is setting new payment rates for lab tests, with some cuts reported as high as 23 percent. Officials also say it will be easier for private companies to take over Medicare Advantage plans.

Closer to home, there is warmth too: Austin honored residents aged 100 to 104, Texas nursing home residents built furniture for neighbors in need, and coffee shops are opening inside senior communities. New senior living construction is planned across several areas.