From DC: Medicare Eligibility Changes, Reduced Dental Benefits, Fair Housing Trends, and more!

Final Rule Implementing H.R. 1 Medicare Immigrant Eligibility Changes

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the final 2027 Physician Fee Schedule rule implementing the H.R. 1 immigrant eligibility restrictions for Medicare coverage. H.R. 1 significantly narrows immigrant eligibility for Medicare, and thousands of lawfully present immigrants will be terminated from Medicare in early 2027. Newly ineligible groups include humanitarian immigrants such as refugees, asylees, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, and trafficking/domestic violence survivors, who are currently enrolled in Medicare and who have paid into Medicare for years.

People newly ineligible for Medicare will be terminated on an ongoing basis, starting on February 1, 2027. An estimated 300,000 people will be mailed a preliminary notice in November 2026 notifying them of their impending Medicare termination in February 2027. People who are eligible but mistakenly identified by the Social Security Administration (SSA) must act quickly to correct their immigration status with SSA to retain coverage.

The final rule also establishes the process for identifying and terminating newly ineligible immigrants, the notice schedule, and a Medicare Special Enrollment Period for people who gain, or regain, a qualifying status in the future. 

Justice in Aging will be reviewing the CMS final rule and providing more information to our network in the coming weeks, including at our Older Immigrants and Medicare Updates webinar on November 18.

For more on these changes, see our fact sheet: Understanding the Impact of H.R.1 on Older Immigrants’ Access to Health Care, along with our comments on the proposed rule.

Reduced Medicare Advantage Dental Benefits in 2027

Medicare Open Enrollment is underway for the 2027 plan year. Recent reports of major insurers reducing Medicare Advantage (MA) supplemental dental benefits for the 2027 plan year raise concerns about enrollee access to dental coverage, especially for low-income older adults who cannot afford to pay out of pocket for dental care. Leaner MA plan supplemental benefits and reductions in dental was also a trend in the 2026 plan year.

As our blog explains, expanding oral health access in Original Medicare is needed now more than ever to ensure all Medicare enrollees have access to comprehensive dental services.

For more information on Medicare Open Enrollment and tips to help clients navigate their options, see our Open Enrollment for 2027 Coverage fact sheet.

New Report on Fair Housing Trends

The National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) released their 2026 Fair Housing Trends Report, which examines data about housing discrimination complaints across the country. However, for the first time in the report’s history, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) failed to provide requested data for NFHA’s report.

Despite gaps in federal data, the report highlights some of the harmful effects of the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on fair housing enforcement. For example, HUD’s attempts at defunding nonprofit fair housing agencies, such as legal aid programs, forced many to cut services and reduce staff. Others drained reserves or took out loans to cover costs during funding disruptions. These setbacks are particularly significant because nonprofit fair housing groups handle more than 75% of all fair housing complaints.

Many older adults, such as older adults with disabilities, are protected under the Fair Housing Act. Aging and disability advocates can combat housing discrimination by helping older adults exercise their fair housing rights. To learn more, see Justice in Aging’s webinar on Federal Fair Housing Basics.