Marketplace Morning Report Farmers feel the big freeze
Jan 27, 2026
Nancy Marshall-Genzer, Marketplace business and health-care reporter, breaks down policy and market moves. She unpacks insurer reactions to Medicare Advantage rate changes and CMS coding shifts. Then the conversation moves to a deep freeze hitting southern agriculture: timber, sugar cane, crawfish, cattle and poultry all feel the chill.
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Medicare Rates Surprise Insurers
- Medicare Advantage insurers expected larger rate hikes but CMS proposed under 1% instead of 4–5% expected.
- CMS aims to curb coding-driven payments by only funding illnesses diagnosed during office visits.
Markets React To Insurer News
- Stocks reacted sharply, with major insurers falling despite some beating profit expectations.
- The Fed meeting timing and inflation briefing add market uncertainty around interest-rate expectations.
Temporary Relief For Defaulted Borrowers
- Millions remain delinquent on student loans after pandemic forbearance ended.
- Wage and tax garnishments for borrowers in default have been suspended for now, creating temporary relief.