Today

Medicare's December 7 deadline nears as many struggle to understand coverage

Good morning. The clock is ticking on Medicare. Open enrollment ends December 7, and reports today explain what you should check before then (7). This matters because confusion is costly. One survey found 48% of people on Medicare skipped or delayed care because they didn't understand their coverage, and 54% worried about what they'd pay out of pocket (3).

Help is out there. A senior center is offering a free "Medicare 101" class, and a community board is recruiting volunteers to counsel people one-on-one (4, 10). Looking ahead, reporters are already sorting through changes coming to Medicare in 2027 (17).

There was hard news too. After a nursing home failed and the state stepped in, one woman was reportedly left without oxygen just days later (6). And in Washington, Democrats introduced a bill to let more people buy into Medicare — a plan some are calling "Medicare for More" (1, 20).