Lawmakers tussle over a federal budget bill that includes a Medicare rate increase for clinicians starting in 2026.

Physicians would see higher Medicare rates in 2026 and beyond, but reimbursements under alternative payment models would ...

This adjustment translates to an estimated $25 billion increase in total government payments to Medicare Advantage plans in 2026-funded by taxpayer dollars. Critics of the measure argue that the ...

In many cases, Advantage plans do offer have lower out-of-pocket costs than original Medicare, fewer administrative hurdles and a seamless transition to enrollees’ private health plans from before ...