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In a pilot project starting in 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will implement a prior authorization requirement in Original Medicare for a select list of outpatient services.

The new pilot, called the WISeR Model, will roll out in six states: New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona and Washington. The new initiative will be driven by artificial intelligence, which CMS hopes will speed up the prior authorization process while ensuring that beneficiaries receive services that are safe, appropriate and backed by clinical evidence.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is notifying approximately 103,000 Medicare beneficiaries that their personal information may have been compromised in a significant data breach involving unauthorized Medicare.gov account creation.

Affected beneficiaries will receive new Medicare cards with new numbers, but they may want to take additional steps to protect their information. If you are on Medicare, here's what you need to know.

While Medicare, and especially Medicare Advantage, comes with a number of great and low-cost benefits, it does not cover all health care services that you may need after you turn 65.

To make sure you understand the limits of Medicare and to perhaps prompt you to check your Medicare Advantage policy (if you have one), you should look at the list in this item.

Many people, after their children have grown and they've paid off the mortgage, consider not renewing their term life insurance coverage or surrendering their permanent life policy, particularly as they near retirement.

But that may not always be the best strategy, and there are instances when maintaining a life insurance policy in your retirement makes sense. The decision should be based on your finances and life circumstances. Here are some instances where keeping life coverage in retirement is the sensible course of action.

Rapidly rising commercial building construction costs could result in your facility being underinsured if you suffer a major loss and haven't increased your insurance policy replacement cost limits lately.

Your policy has a maximum amount it will pay to rebuild your building, and that limit should reflect current construction costs. Otherwise, the policy may not be enough to pay for rebuilding after a total loss like a fire razing your business. And whatever the insurance doesn't cover, you would have to pay out of pocket.

Pollution and environmental claims always linger as a threat to contractors of all types and can lead to significant costs for cleanup, remediation and potential legal liabilities. 

Pollution claims against contractors typically concern surface water contamination, chemical spills, inappropriate disposal of hazardous materials, asbestos exposure, and mold and bacteria caused by poorly installed heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. Any of these can lead to lawsuits and significant liability exposure that could cripple a small or mid-sized construction firm.

President Trump's sweeping return to tariff-heavy trade policies in 2025 is sending ripples across the economy, including the cost of property insurance claims.

The latest round of tariffs, which include steep duties on imported construction materials and auto parts, many of which are sourced from China, threatens to drive up claims costs in both personal and commercial lines, particularly property and vehicle insurance. The result is likely to be higher insurance rates to account for higher claims costs.

During wildfire season, utilities with equipment in at-risk areas will often cut power during high-wind events to reduce the risk of ignition from downed power lines.

While the practice can prevent a fire from starting, it can put businesses in a bind by hampering operations and even putting perishable items at risk of spoiling if the outage lasts for an extended period. Businesses in these areas need to be prepared for these potential blackouts.

The devastating floods that hit Texas in July 2025 and the massive flooding in North Carolina a few months earlier are a sobering reminder that floods can happen suddenly, with little warning, and increasingly in areas not designated as flood zones.

As climate change fuels more intense storms, longer rainy seasons and unprecedented weather patterns, flooding is no longer confined to the coasts or riverbanks. If you live in an area outside a flood zone, your home could be at risk — and homeowner's insurance doesn't cover flood damage. Here's what's happening and why you may be exposed to financial peril.

A growing number of employers are adding menopause-related benefits to their health and wellness programs, recognizing both the personal and business impact of this phase of women's health.

According to a 2023 Mayo Clinic report, menopause-related symptoms are responsible for an estimated $1.8 billion in lost workdays annually in the U.S. largely due to absenteeism and diminished productivity.

As a result, employers such as Microsoft, IBM and several large financial institutions have already launched menopause initiatives.

Health insurance is back on the legislative agenda in Washington, with several proposals that could reshape how employers provide coverage to their workers.

Three bills gaining traction in the House aim to overhaul parts of the Affordable Care Act, expand access to group health plans for small employers and protect the use of stop-loss insurance for self-insured plans.

Here's a summary of what's on the table and how it could affect employers.

In a major announcement, America's Health Insurance Plans said that more than 50 major insurers — including UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Cigna and various regional Blue Cross Blue Shield plans — have pledged to significantly streamline the prior authorization process and improve the patient care experience.

This shift could bring relief to more than 250 million Americans enrolled in commercial, Medicare Advantage and Medicaid managed care plans.