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Medicare finalizes 2027 payment rules, cutting doctor pay but raising other rates

Good morning. The big news today is Medicare's final payment plan for 2027. The government says it will cut what it pays doctors, though it softened one earlier penalty for same-day visits. At the same time, hospital outpatient departments are set to see pay rise about 2.3 percent, and home health agencies will get a 2.4 percent increase.

Medicare officials also said they are expanding their power to keep bad providers out of the program. In politics, several headlines report that this week's midterm elections could bring more attention to senior living and long-term care, and that some Democrats may push "Medicare for All."

There were harder stories too. One reported a deadly shooting at a nursing home, and police said they uncovered a drug house inside a Visalia senior living community. A separate report warned that $2.24 billion in debt comes due for senior living and care operators through 2027.