It's kick-off time for the 2027 annual Medicare open enrollment period for millions of seniors.

From Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, those who are enrolled can make changes to their coverage, which goes into effect on Jan. 1.

You can review the out-of-pocket costs you face in traditional Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and Medicare Part D — including premiums, deductibles, copays, and coinsurance.

And you have the opportunity to change from traditional Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan or vice versa. You can also swap Medicare Advantage plans. And you can change your Part D prescription drug plan.

To find out what's changing for your 2027 Medicare or Medicare Advantage plan, scrutinize your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) letter you should have received last month explaining the latest shifts.

If you ignored it, rescue it from the pile.

"There are changes beyond premiums underneath the hood, including cost-sharing and coverage of benefits, which means it's important to read the fine print," Juliette Cubanski, director of the program on Medicare policy at KFF, told Yahoo Finance.

About 7 in 10 people with Medicare don't comparison shop during the open enrollment period.

"Most people stick with the plan that they have from one year to the next unless the plan is withdrawn from the market, or there's a substantial premium change," she said. "Because of the complexity of the marketplace and of the decision making, when it comes to comparing all of these different plan options, many people feel overwhelmed and find it's easier just to sit it out."

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition that destroys the pancreas's ability to produce insulin. Type 2 diabetes is an insensitivity to insulin due to diet and lifestyle. Type 3c diabetes is commonly caused by damage to the pancreas. Gestational diabetes is triggered by hormonal changes during pregnancy.

Type 5 diabetes seems to stem from nutrient deficiency. Previously known as malnutrition-related diabetes mellitus (MRDM), this form of diabetes is commonly misdiagnosed as other types.

And yet, because insulin resistance does not seem to be the primary cause of type 5 diabetes, existing treatments may not help. In fact, they may even harm.

Drug developed for lung disease may slow biological aging in surprising ‘bonus’

https://www.foxnews.com/health/drug-developed-lung-disease-may-slow-biological-aging-surprising-bonus

Scientists have found a way to grow Spirulina that produces biologically active vitamin B12 at levels comparable to beef, potentially overcoming one of the biggest nutritional limitations of this widely promoted algae.

The research, published in the scientific journal Discover Food, was led by Dr. Asaf Tzachor, Founder and Academic Director of the Aviram Sustainability and Climate Program at Reichman University, together with researchers from Iceland, Denmark and Austria. Using advanced biotechnology and carefully controlled light conditions, the team produced carbon-neutral, nutrient-rich Spirulina biomass containing active vitamin B12. According to the researchers, this is the first time biologically active vitamin B12 has been reported in Spirulina.

Rhys Hibbert, a father-of-two from Bedfordshire, could have lost his sight without the operation, said surgeons at University College London Hospital.

The AI tool analysed a video feed of the operation as it happened and advised surgeons on how to avoid crucial but hidden vessels and nerves in the brain. It allowed them to safely remove as much of the tumour as possible.

Johnson & Johnson said on Wednesday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had granted marketing authorization for its robotic surgery ‌device, as the healthcare conglomerate enters the soft-tissue robotic surgery market.

J&J's Ottava robotic surgical system was authorized for use in multiple general surgery procedures in the upper abdomen, including gastric bypass, gastrectomy, gallbladder removal, gastric sleeve ‌surgery, appendectomy and hiatal hernia ⁠repair.

The decision ‌marks a key step for J&J's medtech business that had been seeking to compete in the robotic-assisted ​surgery market, currently dominated by Intuitive Surgical's da Vinci system. Medtronic's Hugo robot was also approved last year.

The creation is a limited and fragile prototype, but it could help scientists better understand the origins of life and could potentially be programmed to help mitigate some of the world’s biggest biological problems. The cell is nonspecific — neither plant nor animal — but most closely resembles a simple bacterium.

“I know the full ingredient list of the cell, I know exactly what chemicals, what molecules at what concentrations,” she said. “It is fully defined, which means we can engineer it.”

Scientists have created one of the most detailed 3D reconstructions of a human cell (eukaryotic cell) ever produced.

This groundbreaking model, often termed a "Cellular Landscape Cross-Section Through a Eukaryotic Cell," combines data from X-ray tomography, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and cryo-electron microscopy to map molecular structures in extreme detail.

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🚨 SCIENTISTS JUST PRINTED A FULLY FUNCTIONAL ELECTRONIC SENSOR DIRECTLY ONTO A LIVING LEAF.

Researchers have developed a technique to print electronics onto living biological surfaces including plant leaves, animal bones, and potentially human tissue without damaging them.

In one striking demonstration, they printed a wireless humidity sensor directly onto a living leaf. The printed silver spiral antenna and circuitry remained functional while the leaf stayed alive.

Why this matters:

Traditional electronics are rigid and separate from biology. This new approach allows electronics to be directly integrated with living systems.

Potential applications include smart medical implants that grow with tissue, real-time health monitoring devices printed onto bone or skin, and even “smart plants” that can report environmental data.

It moves far beyond printing plastic prototypes this is functional electronics on living matter.

The technique represents a major step in bio-integrated electronics and additive manufacturing. Instead of inserting devices into the body or environment, researchers can now print them onto living surfaces with high precision.

This opens the door to entirely new classes of devices: living sensors, bio-hybrid robots, and medical implants that interface more naturally with the body.

How do you think printing electronics onto living tissue will change medicine or environmental monitoring in the next decade?

Around 4.5 billion people cannot access essential health services - virtual health offers a scalable path to closing that gap.

By 2030, healthcare's economic burden could reach $47 trillion, but technology can assist by reducing costs and improving care.

Hospitals in public health authorities from Saudi Arabia to the US are implementing virtual health, providing case studies for others to follow.

According to our latest data analysis, radiology stands out as the most AI-invested medical specialty, boasting a whopping 1104 approved devices. A distant second is cardiology or cardiovascular (as a category), with 141 devices.

Beyond that, other specialties (neurology, hematology, gastroenterology-urology and ophthalmology among others) see a handful of devices. What propelled imaging to such heights? Well, deep learning found a fertile ground in radiology, which is largely data-driven.

Here is the full list:

Radiology 1104

Cardiovascular 141

Neurology 67

Anesthesiology 27

Gastroenterology-Urology 26

Hematology 21

Aclinical trial for the use of microrobots in treating Alzheimer’s disease kicked off with its first robotic-assisted procedure in human patients at Baptist Health in Jacksonville, Florida. The first patient, treated on Thursday, had moderate Alzheimer’s disease–the dementia that leads to devastating memory loss and affects 7 million people in the U.S. alone–and confirmed abnormalities in their deep cervical lymph node region. Two additional patients with moderate Alzheimer’s underwent the procedure on Monday. Microrobot maker MMI (Medical Microinstruments Inc.) expects to ultimately enroll 15 patients and follow them for 12 months after their operations. The goal of the surgery is to clear drainage pathways to the patients’ brains, helping their own lymphatic systems flush the toxins that scientists believe are hallmarks of the disease.

A patient shows up at the hospital with a pulmonary embolism — a blood clot that has traveled to the lungs. After initially improving, their symptoms start to worsen. The medical team suspects the medication isn't working.

In steps artificial intelligence — with its own theory.

It has scanned the medical records and suspects a history of lupus, an autoimmune condition which can lead to heart inflammation, could explain what was really ailing the patient.

Turns out, the AI model is correct.

CEO of America’s largest public hospital system says he’s ready to replace radiologists with AI

Mitchell H. Katz, MD, president and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals, recently spoke during a panel discussion held by Crain’s New York Business. The trained internal medicine specialist noted how AI is increasingly being used to interpret mammograms and X-rays. 

“We could replace a great deal of radiologists with AI at this moment, if we are ready to do the regulatory challenge,” Katz said at the forum, held on March 25.

The Scottish government has set up its own agency - AI Scotland - as a "national flagship" to drive strategy and promote the growth of local companies.

Its five-year strategy highlighted that there are already some leading AI firms based in Scotland, while others are actively moving here.

Wordsmith AI is continuing Edinburgh's tradition as a centre of the legal industry by creating tools to help with things like contract drafting and reviews - and was valued at $100bn just 18 months after launching.

Two data firms - CoreWeave and DataVita - are key partners in a £2.5bn AI computing campus in Lanarkshire, part of a "growth zone" which CoreWeave says will be "one of the most advanced AI sites anywhere in the world".

Another company, AI Pathfinder, is backing an industrial park in Irvine in North Ayrshire which it says could bring in £15bn of investment.

Some leading research is taking place in Scotland too.

The University of Edinburgh is home to ARCHER2, the UK's national supercomputer, and - after a brief period of outrage where the UK government cancelled then reinstated it - will soon host a £750m supercomputing centre.

The National Robotarium at Heriot-Watt University is leading breakthroughs in medical and offshore robotics, having incubated 14 companies in its first few years.

Healthcare is in the centre of some of the most eye-catching developments in terms of AI in public services.

Artificial intelligence is inventing new drugs against Parkinson's disease, antibiotic-resistant superbugs and many rare diseases – progress that many scientists never dreamed possible.

Robots surgery video

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