My goal is to attempt to explain the forces at play with our plans as we look to 2025. I have two items of concern  – recent news about Federal reimbursements to Medicare Advantage insurers and, going back to my last newsletter, the $2000 annual cap on out-of-pocket prescription costs.

This year, I spent a great deal of time helping clients deal with the cost of prescription drugs. Which prescriptions were costing Medicare enrollees the most? One way to answer that question is to review a list of drugs that cost Medicare the most money.

The Unvarnished Truth is an occasional newsletter that covers news and topics of interest for those of us approaching or enrolled in Medicare. I will cover two important items in this edition: My first item is Compass Medical Group, which announced last Wednesday night that it would be closing its practices, effective immediately.

Some good news for patients and doctors - the paperwork required by health insurers to get many medical procedures and tests is getting rolled back. UnitedHealthcare, the largest health insurer in the U.S., has stated it would cut its use of the prior authorization process. Other major insurers, such as Aetna and Cigna, are moving in the same direction.