Another new year, another report from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) saying that Medicare Advantage is more expensive in exchange for lower quality coverage.
This year, the commission found that the federal government will pay Medicare Advantage (MA) insurers $88 billion more than it would if their share of...National News
Last week, the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on the topic of "cracking down on deceptive practices" related to the advertisement of Medicare Advantage (MA) plans.
The hearing covered a long list of issues with third-party marketers who represent MA plans, including allegations of false information, harassment, switching...
Published Friday, the rate notice includes a 3.32% overall pay raise which was up from the 1.03% in the proposed rule.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) appears to have ceded to the demands of the insurance industry; the new pay rates translate to a $13.8 billion increase for insurers, according to Axios, CMS will...
As seniors, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and Medicare Advantage (MA) plans gear up for a landmark Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period beginning October 15, Medicare Advantage on the whole is in hot water.
Last week, the New York Times published an earthshaking story documenting the extent to which...
Medicare Advantage (MA) is a tremendously popular program among not only beneficiaries but the policymakers and stakeholders who want to see the program work out. As an alternative to Traditional Medicare, hundreds of billions of dollars flow through MA plans, leaving a lot of room for fraud.
One major source of overcharging the...National News
This week in Medicare Advantage news, the home-based care industry is gearing up to assert itself amid concerns that home care services are being inadequately compensated. A new bill modeled on existing Texas law tries to limit the harms caused by prior authorization in Medicare Advantage plans. Also, Centene is concerned about its star...
Last Wednesday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced proposed payment policy changes for the Medicare Advantage and Part D programs for Calendar Year (CY) 2023. The proposal includes a 7.98% payment increase and health equity provisions for MA participation, for example in star ratings.
The advance notice was...
The Medicare enrollment period has surpassed the halfway point for the 2022 calendar year (CY) and trends are already apparent. Supplemental benefits and in-home services are demonstrating huge gains for Medicare Advantage (MA) plans that offer them, although the $0 premium remains the most consistent choice for enrollees.
Online...
Medicare Advantage is under pressure to demonstrate its cost-savings for the Medicare program following a report for the Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that suggests Medicare Advantage (MA) plans "may have inappropriately" leveraged chart reviews and health risk assessments to...
A bipartisan group of senators, including Senators Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ), sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure last Friday, warning against any potential cuts to the Medicare Advantage (MA) program. The letter comes as Democrats look for places to...News
Better Medicare Alliance, a leading research and advocacy organization supporting Medicare Advantage, has announced the selection of health policy veteran and patient advocacy leader Mary Beth Donahue as President and CEO.
Donahue has had nearly a decade of leadership in public service at the U.S. Department of Health and Human...National News
Better Medicare Alliance (BMA) this week released their annual “State of Medicare Advantage” report, which, in their words, shows “near-universal satisfaction, greater consumer savings, and better health outcomes in Medicare Advantage, as compared to Traditional FFS Medicare.”
It reveals there are now 26 million...National News
Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollment has continued to climb consistently year-over-year and 2021 is no different. Nationally, 42% of Medicare eligible beneficiaries are currently enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, which is up from 32% five years ago.
The Chartis Group released a report on key trends regarding national MA enrollment,...National News
Last week, the Better Medicare Alliance — a non-profit research and advocacy group that promotes Medicare Advantage plans — released a study conducted with Morning Consult demonstrating that beneficiaries are almost universally happy with their Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. Of more than 1,200 seniors on Medicare, 97% approved of...National Reports & Surveys
A new report comparing health outcomes for beneficiaries of Medicare Advantage (MA) and those on traditional fee-for-service Medicare found that MA beneficiaries spend far fewer days in skilled nursing facilities.
In Arizona, 2020 Medicare Advantage (MA) total enrollment was 574,475, with a 9% increase from 2019.
The report from...
