Wakely Wire
February 26, 2026
New Insights
Whitepapers, briefs, press releases and more
Summary of Provisions in HHS’s Proposed 2027 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters and Other Key Regulations
On February 9, 2026, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the proposed Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters (proposed Payment Notice) for 2027. The notice includes important proposed rules and parameters for the operation of the individual and small group health insurance markets in 2026 and beyond. This paper summarizes key provisions ... Continue reading
LEAD: The Big Shift Beyond Attribution and Benchmarks-Quality as a Cash Flow Lever
Quality Risk Under the LEAD Model LEAD (the Long-term Enhanced ACO Design) Model is the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation Center’s newest accountable care organization (ACO) focused model. Set to launch following when ACO REACH (Realizing Equity, Access, and Community Health) sunsets at the end of 2026, LEAD ties quality performance directly to benchmark dollars through a ... Continue reading
The Value Shift – How Medicare Advantage Benefits Are Evolving for 2026
This updated paper builds on Wakely’s prior analysis of Medicare Advantage benefit design, incorporating newly released 2026 enrollment data to provide a clearer picture of how market dynamics are evolving. With refreshed enrollment figures, the analysis reassesses which benefit strategies are gaining traction, where growth is concentrating, and how shifts in enrollment are aligning with ... Continue reading
Week in Washington – 2/26/26
CMS Halts Payments CMS announced it will be cutting off $259 million in Medicaid funding to Minnesota as well as freezing sign-ups for new durable medical equipment supplies in Medicare for six months. CMS alleges the moves are in response to fraud. CMS is additionally attempting to halt up to $2 billion in Medicaid payments ... Continue reading
Events & More
Proposed ACA 2027 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters: Implications for Issuers and States
WAKELY WEBINAR
March 11, 2026 | 12 PM ET
This webinar offers a timely, strategic overview of the recently released proposed 2027 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters and what it signals for the evolving coverage landscape. We will unpack the key policy changes, operational requirements, and market assumptions embedded in the rule, with a focus on implications for the individual and small group markets beginning in 2026 and extending beyond.
Participants will gain insight into how proposed updates may affect plan design, rate development, risk adjustment, enrollment operations, and health insurance regulation dynamics. We will also explore the broader policy direction reflected in the proposal and what organizations should be monitoring now to prepare for implementation and potential downstream impacts.
Newsworthy Findings
Employers Introducing More Family Health Benefits, but Employees Don’t Always Recognize Them
A new report from Maven Clinic finds that while employers are significantly increasing investment in women’s and family health benefits, many employees don’t feel that support translates into meaningful care and understanding of benefits.
Nextech Rolls Out AI Scribe Purpose-Built for Specialty Physician Practices
Health tech company Nextech has launched Cora Scribe, a next-generation AI clinical assistant designed specifically for specialty practices such as ophthalmology, dermatology, and orthopedics, built into its electronic health record (EHR) system to streamline documentation workflows. Unlike generic scribing tools, Cora listens to natural conversation in real time and populates structured clinical notes directly in the EHR, helping providers chart more efficiently and stay focused on patients.
GOP’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Erases 12 Years of Solvency for Medicare Trust Fund: CBO
Congressional scorekeepers expect the Hospital Insurance trust fund to run dry more than a decade earlier than they previously expected, after the Republican megabill slashed the revenues it receives.
Medicare Advantage Growth Decelerates as Insurers Shed Members for 2026
A Healthcare Dive analysis of new government data lays out just how drastically insurers retrenched their MA businesses for 2026.
15 States Sue HHS over Changes to Childhood Vaccine Schedule
The lawsuit seeks to reverse the abrupt overhaul of the U.S. immunization schedule as well as the federal government’s allegedly “unlawful” reformation of a key vaccine panel.
Bonus Article
Abandoned Las Vegas Airport Dog Finds a Forever Home with the Officer Who Saved Him
Just for Fun
Math Riddle:
Why did the student do multiplication on the floor?
Prior Week
Q: Why was the fraction nervous about marrying the decimal?
A: Because it would have to convert.
Sign up for the
Wakely Wire,
our industry newsletter.
