Gist Weekly: October 2, 2026

In the News

What happened in healthcare recently—and what we think about it.

Medicare Advantage enrollment projections are in. Medicare Advantage (MA) plan enrollment is projected to remain stable in 2027 as monthly premiums drop, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced Monday. About 47% of Medicare beneficiaries will be enrolled in an MA plan, according to CMS projections. Almost all Medicare beneficiaries will have access to at least one MA plan next year, with 97% having access to 10 or more plans, according to the agency. CMS also projected that premiums will drop more than 16% and MA prescription drug premiums will fall 38%, while stand-alone Part D plan premiums will rise less than $1 per beneficiary per month in 2027. The projections come as 11 payers plan to exit the MA market next year ahead of open enrollment this month, compared with seven payers that exited this year. CMS projected the total number of MA plans available to beneficiaries would remain flat.

• The Gist: In April, CMS locked in a 2.48% average MA payment rate increase, which may have felt like a gift to payers after a proposed 0.09% increase. Since then, payers including UnitedHealthcare have made strategic decisions about where to compete, exiting some markets and entering others. Despite strong second-quarter earnings for several major payers, the 2027 MA enrollment period is poised to be a bumpy ride for eligible seniors as major insurers—and some hospital plans—reduce their offerings. Some beneficiaries may find their plans eliminated, which would challenge them to shop in order to keep a specific benefit or search for a new in-network provider. As seniors navigate this turbulence ahead, hospitals may feel the brunt of coverage confusion and shifts in payer contracts, which likely will leave some provider organizations out of network.

And—what we’re following.

• As many as 281,000 legal immigrants, including refugees, asylum seekers, and apparent victims of human trafficking, were slated to lose Medicaid coverage as of Oct. 1, according to the latest analysis from KFF News.
• The Food and Drug Administration last week approved Grail’s Galleri multi-cancer early-detection blood test.

Plus—what we’ve been reading.

A red pen for healthcare. A recent article in Forbes by Sachin Jain, M.D., CEO of SCAN Health Plan, describes how words lose meaning in healthcare. Jain declares that terms like “value-based care" and “innovation” become buzzwords and are ultimately made meaningless through expansion of definition, appropriation, and exhaustion. “Patient-centered” and “disruption” join this list, and “artificial intelligence” is next, he argues. The critique calls for linguistic integrity and precision of vocabulary. When words are used to confer status rather than accurately describe what is being done, they become ubiquitous and their underlying meaning becomes “harder and harder to find,” he writes.

• The Gist: When a prominent health plan leader says that words we use matter, we should listen. Jain’s sharp critique comes from within. He joins other physician-writers who advocate for precise use of language in healthcare. The critique extends beyond medical jargon and the need for plain language in patient communications at the bedside. It challenges us to shift from check-the-box language and convey meaning clearly, even if it isn’t “innovative.” As AI becomes an everyday part of how we live and work, saying what we mean precisely is even more important because AI mirrors and amplifies our language, often with unintended consequences. The health literacy movement has addressed this challenge for decades. Its principles and organizational health literacy methods can help leaders communicate with greater clarity and purpose.

Graphic of the Week

A key insight illustrated in infographic form.

Hospital performance dipped in July

Hospital performance dipped as outpatient activity softened, according to the latest National Hospital Flash Report. Operating margin and observation days fell month-over-month, while discharges increased as payer mix pressures persisted. As more care shifts to outpatient settings, hospitals may see greater impact of outpatient volume fluctuations, including seasonality of elective surgeries, on overall performance.

This Week at Kaufman Hall

What our experts are saying about key issues in healthcare.

Treasury departments are often viewed as operational back offices rather than strategic contributors to enterprise performance.

This new article explains how health systems can transform treasury into a strategic function that improves liquidity, strengthens financial resilience, and supports better decision-making. It outlines how technology, data, and closer collaboration with finance and operational leaders can help treasury create greater value across the organization.

On Our Podcast

The Gist Healthcare Podcast—all the headlines in healthcare policy, business and more, in 10 minutes or less every other weekday morning.

Earlier this week, JC revisited her conversation with Colleen Fogarty, M.D., about the decline in the number of family physicians practicing in rural areas and the impact it has on these communities.

Next Monday, we hear the conclusion of their conversation where they discuss the structural factors shaping the rural physician workforce and what it will take to strengthen it.

Thanks for reading! Please check out our Gist Weekly archive for past editions. We also have all our recent Graphics of the Week available here.

Best regards,
The Gist Weekly team at Kaufman Hall