By Elizabeth Aldrich, NerdWallet

Nearly two-thirds of Americans (64%) believe Medicare benefits will be reduced under the current administration, according to a recent NerdWallet survey. For some, a reduction in benefits could be coming as soon as next year — along with a bigger price tag.

Medicare Part B premiums are estimated to increase by $21.50 to $206.50 next year according to the Medicare Trustees — one of the bigger premium hikes in Medicare history. Medicare Part D prescription drug plans can increase premiums by as much as $50, up from last year’s $35 cap set by the government. And many of the largest private insurers are pulling back on their Medicare offerings or exiting the market entirely due to lack of profitability.

Consumers have one major defense against rising costs, shrinking provider networks and disappearing benefits: Medicare’s fall open enrollment period. Each year from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, you can add, drop or switch Medicare plans.

“This is the most important open enrollment period in Medicare’s 60-year history,” says Melinda Caughill, co-founder of 65 Incorporated, which offers Medicare guidance. “Everybody should be reviewing their plan.”

Here’s a Medicare open enrollment checklist to help you review your plan and compare your options this fall.

Medicare enrollees should have received an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) in the mail in September detailing changes to their plan for the upcoming year. Note any changes to your plan’s:

Premium.
Deductible.
Copays and coinsurance.
Maximum out-of-pocket limit.
Provider network and service area.
Prescription drug coverage and pharmacy network.
Medical benefits.
Other benefits.

Carolyn McClanahan, a physician and certified financial planner (CFP), says the biggest mistake seniors can make is to not revisit their prescription drug coverage. “Too many people just let it coast, and their drugs may not be on the formulary or the cost has gone up a lot,” says McClanahan.

Don’t rely on your ANOC alone. Caughill urges consumers to visit their insurance company’s website and look up their medications on the plan’s new formulary, or list of covered drugs. While Medicare prescription drug plans come with a $2,100 cap on out-of-pocket costs in 2026, this cap only applies to covered drugs. If a drug you need isn’t on your plan’s formulary, it could easily wipe out your savings.

Even if your drugs are covered, they could be in a different cost-sharing tier, warns Caughill. For example, a drug that came with a $10 copay this year may switch to a 25% coinsurance next year. If the retail price of that drug is $1,000, your cost will jump from $10 to $250. “Plans that worked this year may not work for you next year at all,” says Caughill, so you might want to compare your coverage with other Medicare prescription drug plans.

“The wild card in Medicare Advantage is plan networks,” says Caughill, because they can change at any time. If your medical provider is suddenly dropped from your plan’s network, you’ll either have to find a new one or face high out-of-network costs. And with insurers pulling back on their offerings, the region(s) where your plan operates could be shrinking.

On top of that, preferred provider organization (PPO) plans, which give enrollees more freedom to see out-of-network providers, are being shut down by some insurers. Call your primary care doctor and any specialists or hospitals you plan to visit and confirm they will still be in your plan’s network next year.

Rising costs may tempt seniors to enroll in Medicare Advantage plans that flaunt low premiums and extra perks like dental allowances and gym memberships. But McClanahan warns against trying to save money this way.

The premiums are often low because the plan limits who you can see and where you can go to get care. Your doctor could drop your plan at any time, and you might not be covered for certain services if you can’t get prior approval. “You can shoot yourself in the foot down the road when you get sick and need better care,” she says.

When it comes to the extras offered by Medicare Advantage plans, Caughill doesn’t recommend letting them be a deciding factor either. “They’re like sprinkles,” she says. “The reason any of us have health insurance is for cancers, strokes, heart attacks, chronic conditions, car accidents.” Make sure you have adequate coverage for those things before “adding on the sprinkles,” and prioritize keeping your deductibles and maximum out-of-pocket costs low.

If you’re on Medicare Advantage and your plan is discontinued or leaves your area, you may want to think about switching to Original Medicare and getting a Medicare Supplement Insurance, or Medigap, plan.

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Medigap plans help cover out-of-pocket costs, which are unlimited on Original Medicare. “You should never be on traditional Medicare without having a Medigap plan,” says McClanahan, because it exposes you to high financial risk.

If you missed signing up for Medigap when you joined Medicare, you’re often subject to medical underwriting, which can make it hard to get an affordable policy. But certain significant changes, like if your Medicare Advantage plan shuts down or no longer operates in your area, temporarily give you “guaranteed issue rights.” This means Medigap insurers can’t deny you or charge you more because of your health.

Once you’ve reviewed your plan changes, you can use the Medicare plan finder tool on Medicare.gov to compare options and decide if it makes financial sense to change Medicare plans. If you end up deciding to switch, enroll in your new plan by the Dec. 7 deadline.

Elizabeth Aldrich writes for NerdWallet. Email: ealdrich@nerdwallet.com.

The article Medicare Costs Are Rising in 2026. Here’s How to Save During Open Enrollment originally appeared on NerdWallet.

Here’s a roundup of East Metro high school soccer teams who punched their tickets to state via section final victories Tuesday:

Boys

—Central is back at state for the first time since 2019 after it knocked off Stillwater, 4-3. Conrad Iwaszkowiec, Firomsa Aman, Elijah Moseman and Rowan Tidwell all scored for the Minutemen.

—Como Park returns to state for the first time since 2016 after edging Mahtomedi 1-0. Patrick Tennison scored the game’s lone goal, while Louden DeGaetano recorded a three-save shutout.

—A header from Michael Hernandez Ruiz off a free kick in the 68th minute pushed Simley past Cretin-Derham Hall.

—Eagan topped Rosemount 2-0 as the Wildcats kept their hopes to repeat as state champions alive.

—Mounds Park Academy edged St. Croix Prep 2-1 in overtime to secure its first state tournament trip since 2010.

—Maple Grove beat Mounds View 2-1, while Blaine bested Centennial, 3-2.

Girls

—Mounds View returns to state for the first time since 2022 after winning a dramatic shootout over Spring Lake Park, 10-9. The two teams were scoreless through regulation and overtime.

—Stillwater is also back in state for the first time in three years after topping White Bear Lake, 2-1.

—Eagan secured its third straight trip to state via a 2-1 win over Rosemount. Ditto for Lakeville North, which beat Farmington, 3-1.

—Mahtomedi’s dominance continues. The defending champ is back in state after a convincing 3-0 win over Hill-Murray.

—St. Croix Prep’s offense exploded in a 7-1 win over Concordia-Academy.

—Hastings’ section run ended with a 5-1 loss to Holy Angels. Ellen Neuharth had four goals for the Stars.

Boys and girls state tournament quarterfinals will be played next week at neutral sites, with the semifinals and finals slated for the following week at U.S. Bank Stadium.

By MATTHEW BROWN, Associated Press

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit from young climate activists seeking to block President Donald Trump’s executive orders promoting fossil fuels and discouraging renewable energy.

The activists said the orders would worsen global warming, threatening their lives and violating their constitutional rights.

Attorneys for the U.S. Department of Justice and more than a dozen states had urged Judge Dana Christensen to dismiss the case.

The plaintiffs included youths who were victorious in a landmark climate trial against the state of Montana. Christensen said in a 31-page order that the plaintiffs had shown “overwhelming evidence” that climate change was affecting them and will worsen as a result of Trump’s orders.

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But the judge said their request to block Trump’s orders was an “unworkable request” that would have required scrutiny of every climate related action taken since the Republican came into office. Christensen said that instead of the courts, the plaintiffs must make their case “to the political branches or the electorate.”

Legal experts had said the young activists and their lawyers from the environmental group Our Children’s Trust faced long odds. The Montana state constitution declares that people have a “right to a clean and healthful environment.” That language is absent from the U.S. Constitution.

A previous federal climate lawsuit in Oregon from Our Children’s Trust went on for a decade before the U.S. Supreme Court declined to consider their final appeal this year.

Christensen cited that case in concluding that the plaintiffs in Montana lacked standing to sue the government. That is because they failed to demonstrate their request for judicial intervention was likely to fix their injuries through actions that are within the court’s power, the judge wrote.

Only a few other states, including Illinois, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and New York, have environmental protections enshrined in their constitutions.

Carbon dioxide, which is released when fossil fuels are burned, traps heat in the atmosphere and is largely responsible for the warming of the climate.

Montana’s Supreme Court upheld the 2023 trial outcome last year, requiring officials to more closely analyze climate-warming emissions. To date, that has yielded few meaningful changes in a state dominated by Republicans.

Tom Crean analyzed Anthony Edwards’ performances for a season as the guard’s head coach at Georgia during the 2019-20 NCAA campaign.

Now he’ll do from a different perspective.

Head coach Tom Crean of the Georgia Bulldogs talks with Anthony Edwards #5 during the first half of the NCAAB game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Desert Financial Arena on Dec. 14, 2019 in Tempe, Arizona. The Sun Devils defeated the Bulldogs 79-59. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Crean will join FanDuel Sports Network as a Timberwolves’ analyst for the team’s pre- and postgame shows for the 2025-26 campaign, the network announced Wednesday.

Crean is now for his time as a collegiate head coach at Marquette — where he guided a Dwyane Wade-led team to the Final Four — Indiana and Georgia. Since then Crean has done plenty of college basketball television analysis, largely for ESPN.

Locally, Crean has frequently been featured on Dan Barreiero’s Bumper to Bumper afternoon radio program on KFXN-100.3 in recent years.

He will split analyst duties for the upcoming Wolves season with Rebekkah Brunson. FanDuel Sports Network will broadcast 65 of Minnesota’s 82 regular season contests.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Tom Crean to the Timberwolves broadcast team,” FDSN vice president of production Larry Holm said in a release. “His coaching pedigree, passion for the game, and experience behind the mic will add a fresh perspective to our coverage and offer engaging analysis for Timberwolves fans.”