Author: Melanie Lipsey

In Early-Q3 2026, US life insurance applications ↑~15% yearly, marking a sixth straight month of double-digit gains, while activity also topped Early-Q3 2024 and 2023.
Through Early-Q3 2026, year-to-date activity stayed ↑~15% for applicants overall, even after a modest MoM ↓~2% following exceptionally strong growth in Late-Q2.
Growth strengthened with age: ages 30+ grew, ages 40+ posted double digits, ages 60-69 ↑~33%, ages 70+ ↑~54%, while ages 0-29 slightly ↓~2%.
All face amounts grew yearly in Early-Q3, with double-digit gains below $250K and from $1M to <$5M; year-to-date, every face-amount band advanced.
All product types grew yearly in Early-Q3: Term Life ↑~23%, Whole Life ↑~21%, Universal Life ↑~4%, and year-to-date each category posted double-digit gains.

Standard medical coverage costs climbed in 2026, with monthly premiums reaching ~$203 and the annual deductible rising to $283 for beneficiaries nationwide.
Drug coverage also became pricier: the standard deductible cap moved to $615, while the catastrophic threshold increased to $2.1K before covered prescription costs stop.
Higher-income enrollees faced steeper income-based surcharges in 2026, with brackets updated yearly for inflation and added charges applying to medical and drug coverage.
Extra non-medical benefits were trimmed in private plan options, likely pushing seniors to weigh provider networks, prescription coverage, and core benefits more carefully.
A payment-spreading option for prescriptions now auto-renews, and negotiated pricing on select high-cost drugs began, giving some retirees a simpler path to savings.

Most US insurance plans usually do not cover colonoscopy before 45 unless symptoms, family history, or other risk factors make the procedure medically necessary.
Current preventive screening starts at 45 under federal law; average-risk people under 45 may still get a referral but likely pay out of pocket.
When symptoms are present, colonoscopy is treated as diagnostic care, not screening; private insurance should also cover polyp removal during a screening procedure.
People with family history, prior polyps, or inflammatory bowel disease may need earlier screening, and symptoms at any age warrant a doctor conversation.
Routine screening can prevent one in three colorectal cancer deaths, and experts say persistent younger-adult trends leave room for future policy conversations.
Without insurance, colonoscopy can cost $1.25K to $4K or more; patients can ask about stool tests, network status, coverage details, and appeals.