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People who have a Medicare Advantage plan — and wind up needing care and prescriptions next year — are in for a rude awakening. (Herman, 10/1)

At least one million US seniors will be forced to switch health plans next year as the largest Medicare Advantage providers cut benefits and discontinue some offerings in the wake of rising medical costs and heightened government scrutiny. About 390,000 people are part of UnitedHealth Group Inc. plans that are shutting down, a company spokesperson said. Humana Inc. has said that it will cut plans covering about 600,000 people. CVS Health Corp.’s Aetna and Centene Corp. are also shrinking their Medicare Advantage options, according to Wall Street analysts who reviewed government data published this week. (Swetlitz, 10/1)

A Leerink Partners analysis of Medicare Plan Finder shows how the largest MA carriers are cutting dental allowances and premium givebacks next year as they continue to prioritize margin recovery. (Parduhn, 10/1)

Iris Di Cesare noticed her first breast lump in 2016, when she was a college senior. “I had an ultrasound, a biopsy, and it was benign,” she recalls to TODAY.com. Her doctor explained that it was a fibroadenoma, a marble-sized noncancerous breast tumor, and that she should “keep an eye on it,” so she did. (Siclait, 10/1)

51��Ƶ Health News: Patient Dies By Suicide After ‘Insurance Issue’ Delayed Medicine For Lung Disease Flare-Ups

Kenney Blewett was diagnosed with lung disease more than a decade ago but started experiencing flare-ups this year that made him feel like he couldn’t breathe. Blewett described those flare-ups as “the scariest thing in the world,” said his wife, Cindy, adding that while the episodes typically lasted no more than a few minutes, they had become more frequent. (Sausser, 10/2)

The operating agreement between FSU Health and Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare is finally completed. Both parties announced they are in agreement on lease and operating agreements and other documents outlining their academic and clinical structure. (Wood, 10/1)

Large home health companies are expanding their operations as one bargaining chip in the battle for value-based care contracts. A recent spate of acquisitions helped multistate operators move into more regions, giving them a possible advantage in negotiating value-based arrangements with private insurers, some of which are looking to reduce the number of home health providers they use. The agreements can include bonuses, shared savings or risk based on patient outcomes. However, they can be a tough sell in the price-competitive and fragmented home health industry, said Andrew Bates, an independent home care consultant. (Eastabrook, 10/1)

Ovulation. Endometriosis. And especially: menopause. These once taboo words — among others — have become part of our daily vocabulary and conversations, a sign of greater interest in, and knowledge of, women’s health. (Merelli, 10/1)