Medicare plans to pay health tech companies for wearables, apps, and telehealth technology that improves patient outcomes via a new pilot program aimed to begin in July 2026. The government’s willingness to pay for digital health solutions signals a meaningful shift toward making these tools part of standard clinical care. But health tech makers need to prove their tools improve patient outcomes to make it into the pilot program.

The Trump administration announced lower Medicare prices for 15 prescription drugs via the Medicare drug price negotiation program. The new prices will take effect starting January 1, 2027. The biggest hit will fall on pharma companies with drugs selected in both rounds of Medicare negotiations. Revenue impacts will vary depending on each product’s time on the market and how far the negotiated price falls below prior net sales after rebates and discounts. For the government, savings on these drugs will be significant, but broader program savings won’t materialize until far more than 25 drugs see price cuts.

House Democrats introduced a new healthcare bill on Thursday aimed at expanding prescription drug price negotiations and extending Medicare benefits to consumers covered by private insurance. The proposal is unlikely to advance out of the House, but it adds fuel to the ongoing debate over drug pricing, and increases the pressure on pharma companies.

The three health insurers with the largest Medicare Advantage (MA) footprint (UnitedHealth Group, Humana, and CVS) are cutting membership in 2026 and rolling back plan offerings in certain regions. Many seniors who were lured by aggressive MA marketing promising extra benefits and free perks must now find a new MA plan or switch to traditional Medicare. The Medicare annual enrollment period is underway, offering insurers a chance to rebuild trust with seniors by providing online tools and live support to help them understand their options and switch plans if needed.

Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly struck a deal with the Trump administration to lower GLP-1 prices in exchange for expanded Medicare and Medicaid coverage. It’s by far the most consequential pharma agreement to date For Novo and Lilly, it’s a tradeoff: lower prices for higher patient and prescription volume—a bet that should pay off over time, especially since tariff relief is part of the deal.

Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk are closing in on deals with the Trump administration that would exchange deep discounts on their weight loss drugs for coverage under Medicare, per Endpoints News. Millions of Medicare recipients could become new weight-loss drug customers with the federal program on the hook for the cost.

AstraZeneca reached a deal with the US government to lower prescription drug prices in exchange for a three-year tariff reprieve. If more Big Pharma deals with Trump mirror Pfizer’s and AstraZeneca’s, it signals the sector views the terms as favorable, since core revenue drivers remain largely untouched. Still, pricing pressure won’t subside anytime soon, with more drugs expected to be up for Medicare price negotiations. Big Pharma shouldn’t view these latest agreements as the end of the line, but rather as important learning moments for which drug pricing concessions will appease the administration.

The COVID-19 flexibilities that provided doctor reimbursement for virtual care expired on September 30. Healthcare providers and their marketers who deliver telehealth to Medicare members must keep their patients up to speed with how their care might be affected due to Congressional inaction. They should contact seniors by phone or text to confirm medication refill needs and be available for any additional questions. Practices could turn to social media platforms like Facebook for more general messaging, such as resources that connect seniors with low-cost transportation services or mobility assistance programs that may help folks get to a doctor’s office.

The news: Medicare and Medicaid could cover GLP-1s for weight loss as part of a proposed five-year government experiment, according to a report in The Washington Post. Our take: The pilot, albeit not finalized, is a significant about-face from the Trump administration—particularly its top health official, Kennedy. It could be a signal that CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz is behind the plan, since he’s a bigger proponent of the meds. Still, we’re dubious about how many health plans will commit considering GLP-1s' high costs are a top concern for most insurers.

While medical costs are still elevated in Medicare and Medicaid, executives said Aetna is managing expenses more effectively and moving toward target margins. Aetna also improved its YoY medical benefit ratio—the share of premium revenue spent on medical care.

The news: Three US senators are raising concerns that the forthcoming TrumpRx website could steer patients toward drugmakers’ medications and potentially violate anti-kickback laws that prohibit financial incentives in exchange for patient referrals in federal healthcare programs like Medicare and Medicaid.

But the company’s first earnings of 2026 show it is still facing headwinds on multiple fronts—and two DOJ probes into its Medicare Advantage operations. While nothing technically prevents further expansion, the payoff isn’t what it once was, amid tighter government scrutiny and mispriced healthcare utilization.

Most recently, Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly struck a deal with the Trump administration to lower their GLP-1 prices in exchange for expanded Medicare and Medicaid coverage. Prices of select drugs will be lowered for cash-pay consumers via TrumpRx, a new government-run online marketplace that links patients to discounted medication purchases.

Amazon Pharmacy expands medication services for caregivers and Medicare users: Healthcare service providers and pharmacies can earn customer loyalty by appealing to often overlooked caregivers with services that make their roles easier.

What happened: UnitedHealth Group reported mostly positive results from an independent audit of its Medicare Advantage business, OptumRx pharmacy benefit manager, and UnitedHealthcare care services management. Why it matters: UnitedHealth remains under DOJ investigation over allegations that it pressured doctors to document certain conditions to boost Medicare Advantage payments.

Insurance/coverage issues (58%), unpaid bills (43%), and updates to Medicare or Medicaid (41%) are the most common topics used in fake healthcare messages. Why it matters: As consumers engage providers and insurers across more channels, the risk of phishing and other cybercrimes rises.

About 84% of US consumers under age 65 have prescription drug insurance coverage, per government data, and nearly everyone above age 65 is on Medicare. TrumpRx discounts could help the uninsured or underinsured, but even those patients may still be unable to afford most TrumpRx prices. 82% of uninsured US adults ages 18 to 64 say it’s difficult to afford healthcare, per a January 2026 KFF poll.

Many of the proposals would require congressional approval, although Medicare and Medicaid director Mehmet Oz told STAT the administration has already begun pitching the plan to lawmakers. Here's how Trump’s new healthcare proposal, dubbed “The Great Healthcare Plan,” would impact different healthcare stakeholders:.

The most notable effort is a bill just passed that would require PBMs to be paid flat fees for drugs covered under Medicare Part D, rather than a percentage of a medication’s list price—an approach intended to reduce incentives to favor higher-priced drugs. Per the FTC settlement, Cigna has agreed to change even more of its business practices, including to:.

For instance, price cuts largely target the smaller self-pay market, limiting the revenue impact, and in some cases come with upside, such as expanded Medicare coverage or faster regulatory reviews. What it means for pharma companies in 2026: Trump has seemingly already declared victory on drug pricing, signaling that pressure on pharma is likely to ease as attention shifts elsewhere.

Novo Nordisk’s first-to-market pill, priced at $149 per month for cash-pay patients and covered by Medicare and Medicaid in 2026 as part of its deal with the Trump administration, sets an early benchmark for affordability and access.

UnitedHealth Group faces reported criminal investigation over Medicare billing fraud: The DOJ may have gathered enough evidence against UnitedHealth, such as allegedly giving doctors kickbacks. Other top players in the Medicare Advantage market should be worried.

UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty steps down: New leadership will aim to straighten out the company’s Medicare Advantage business to appease Wall Street. But we’re also keeping an eye on what they’ll do to improve UHG’s sinking reputation.

Medicare and Medicaid won’t have to cover GLP-1s for weight loss: The Trump administration rejected a proposal that would have improved access to the drugs for millions of Americans. The consequences will be greater for patients than for Big Pharma.