Health and Tech NowHealth tech, wearables, digital health, biotech and genomics, longevity, breakthroughs, and healthcare and insurance news: what changed, the key number, why it matters, and the source link.https://healthandtechnow.com/en-usFDA approves Hibsago, a hepatitis B drug that lets some patients stop treatmenthttps://healthandtechnow.com/articles/fda-approves-hibsago-hepatitis-b/https://healthandtechnow.com/articles/fda-approves-hibsago-hepatitis-b/In two trials, 24% of patients on Hibsago qualified to stop their hepatitis B medicine. None of the patients on placebo did.Wed, 21 Oct 2026 01:59:00 GMTBreakthroughsCMS plan would stop Medicare paying for outsourced remote monitoringhttps://healthandtechnow.com/articles/cms-2027-remote-monitoring-proposal-explainer/https://healthandtechnow.com/articles/cms-2027-remote-monitoring-proposal-explainer/The 2027 physician fee schedule proposal requires practice-employed staff, a starting visit and lower device values for remote patient and therapeutic monitoring. The final rule is due by Nov. 1.Wed, 21 Oct 2026 04:52:00 GMTHealthcare & InsuranceAEP 2027 scorecard: more members in 4-star plans, fewer counties for some big insurershttps://healthandtechnow.com/articles/aep-2027-carrier-scorecard/https://healthandtechnow.com/articles/aep-2027-carrier-scorecard/71% of Medicare Advantage drug plan members are in contracts rated 4 stars or higher for 2027, up from 67%. Footprints moved in opposite directions by insurer.Wed, 21 Oct 2026 01:59:00 GMTHealthcare & InsuranceOscar grows its county count 24% as ACA insurers set 2027 planshttps://healthandtechnow.com/articles/centene-oscar-2027-aca-plans/https://healthandtechnow.com/articles/centene-oscar-2027-aca-plans/Oscar will sell in 713 counties across 21 states. Centene's Ambetter adds 55 counties and more plans built around one chronic condition. Open enrollment starts Nov 1.Wed, 21 Oct 2026 01:59:00 GMTEmployer Benefits & ACAHow drugmakers and wearables are reaching patients directlyhttps://healthandtechnow.com/articles/consumer-health-direct-to-patient-2026/https://healthandtechnow.com/articles/consumer-health-direct-to-patient-2026/Novo sells Wegovy pills from $149 a month without insurance. Lilly, Oura, WHOOP, Google and Abbott are linking drugs, devices, labs and records in consumer apps.Wed, 21 Oct 2026 01:59:00 GMTDigital HealthDoximity adds UpToDate to its AI tool, days after its OpenEvidence lawsuit endedhttps://healthandtechnow.com/articles/doximity-uptodate-openevidence-settlement/https://healthandtechnow.com/articles/doximity-uptodate-openevidence-settlement/Doximity Ask will show answers drawn from UpToDate's 13,000 topics. The two-sided lawsuit with OpenEvidence was dismissed with prejudice on Oct 16.Wed, 21 Oct 2026 01:59:00 GMTAI in CareJudi Health gets a CMS contract for its own employer retiree Part D planhttps://healthandtechnow.com/articles/judi-rx-retire-employer-part-d/https://healthandtechnow.com/articles/judi-rx-retire-employer-part-d/Judi Rx Retire is an employer group waiver plan that keeps the CMS contract, claims and compliance in one company. Princeton moves its retirees to Judi Rx on Jan 1.Wed, 21 Oct 2026 01:59:00 GMTHealthcare & InsuranceOura adds Cardio Effort and automatic VO2 max to its ringhttps://healthandtechnow.com/articles/oura-cardio-effort-vo2-max/https://healthandtechnow.com/articles/oura-cardio-effort-vo2-max/Weekly workout strain now lands in one of five bands. VO2 max estimates itself after five GPS workouts, as an experimental Oura Labs feature.Wed, 21 Oct 2026 01:59:00 GMTWearablesPacBio and Verily team up to pair long-read genomes with clinical datahttps://healthandtechnow.com/articles/pacbio-verily-long-read-genomics-ai/https://healthandtechnow.com/articles/pacbio-verily-long-read-genomics-ai/A multi-year deal links PacBio's HiFi sequencing to Verily Pre to build clinico-genomic datasets for AI. No financial terms were disclosed.Wed, 21 Oct 2026 01:59:00 GMTBiotech & GenomicsCMS proposes MA directory checks and PBM pay ruleshttps://healthandtechnow.com/articles/cms-ma-directory-pbm-proposed-rule/https://healthandtechnow.com/articles/cms-ma-directory-pbm-proposed-rule/CMS wants Medicare Advantage plans to check their provider directories at least every 90 days.Wed, 21 Oct 2026 01:59:00 GMTHealthcare & InsuranceCMS official says parts of the WISeR AI prior auth test are not workinghttps://healthandtechnow.com/articles/cms-wiser-ai-prior-auth-not-working/https://healthandtechnow.com/articles/cms-wiser-ai-prior-auth-not-working/A CMS deputy administrator says Medicare's AI prior authorization test has problems.Wed, 21 Oct 2026 01:59:00 GMTAI in CareMedicare open enrollment opens with Part D changeshttps://healthandtechnow.com/articles/medicare-open-enrollment-2027-changes/https://healthandtechnow.com/articles/medicare-open-enrollment-2027-changes/Medicare open enrollment opened Oct 15 and runs through Dec 7. Changes take effect Jan 1.Wed, 21 Oct 2026 01:59:00 GMTHealthcare & InsuranceGoogle Health's data deals and Medicare's ruleshttps://healthandtechnow.com/articles/google-health-data-deals-medicare-rules/https://healthandtechnow.com/articles/google-health-data-deals-medicare-rules/Google Health signed three data deals in two months. Each one brings a new kind of health data into a single consumer app.Wed, 21 Oct 2026 01:59:00 GMTDigital Health