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The final CY26 Medicare Advantage (MA) rate announcement met our previously-published optimistic expectations for a comfortable mid-single-digit YoY benchmark rate increase for MA insurers [HUM, ALHC, UNH, CVS, ELV, CNC] with CMS finalizing a 5.06% increase, largely…

Trade will continue to dominate the news this week, while the House is scheduled to consider the budget resolution that the Senate passed early Saturday before both chambers go out on a two-week recess at…

CMS’s final CY26 technical changes rule for Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D plans [HUM, ALHC, UNH, CVS, ELV, CNC] lived up to expectations of rolling back proposed restrictions in response to consumer complaints, but…

With no more than a perfunctory reference this afternoon, CMS announces that it will not be finalizing a Biden proposal to allow Medicare Part D plans to cover anti-obesity medications (AOMs) while requiring it of…

Key Takeaways Even with the market turmoil due to the President Trump’s reciprocal tariffs, we don’t see Trump reversing course in the very near term. In fact, we believe the rhetoric on trade could get…

In response to yesterday’s Senate budget resolution proposal and the GOP’s assumption of the current policy baseline for scoring purposes, we think Congress continues to target Medicaid, Medicare hospital site neutrality, and PBM reforms as…

As we await President Trump’s reciprocal tariff announcement this afternoon, there was some progress on the budget resolution / reconciliation bill yesterday that could:   Make passing the reconciliation / tax bill much cheaper and potentially…

This week looks like an important and busy week in Washington and beyond with: The Senate is seeking to pass their budget resolution by week’s end. President Trump announcing his reciprocal trade policy on April…

With CMS likely to propose a new Medicare physician payment rate for PRCT’s Aquablation in early July – with a final policy in early Nov. and rates effective Jan. 1, 2026 – we expect to…

We view the delayed approval of Nyxoah’s (NYXH) Genio announced this week as positive for Inspire Medical (INSP) insofar as it not only pushes out competition – albeit to an uncertain extent – but may…