Medicare Advantage Star Ratings

Medicare Advantage enrollment increased by 1.7 million beneficiaries

March 11, 2024 - Medicare Advantage enrollment has increased by 1.7 million beneficiaries since 2023, with for-profit health plans dominating the market, a Chartis report revealed. Among 65.9 million Medicare-eligible individuals, 33 million are enrolled in Medicare Advantage in 2024. The private program saw a 5.4 percent enrollment growth from last year—a...

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CMS Proposes 3.7% Increase in Medicare Advantage Plan Payments

by Victoria Bailey

Medicare Advantage plan payments will increase by 3.7 percent or $16 billion in 2025, CMS proposed in the Calendar Year (CY) 2025 Advance Notice for the Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D...

Elevance Health Lawsuit Slams Medicare Advantage Star Ratings Calculation

by Victoria Bailey

Elevance Health has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), alleging its methodology for determining Medicare Advantage star ratings is unlawful. The payer and its...

Humana Ranks High for Experience, Affordability Among MA Plans

by Victoria Bailey

Based on the 2024 Medicare Advantage star ratings, Humana received the highest ranking for overall plan quality, member experience, and low premiums, a US News & World Report analysis shared. The...

Medicare Advantage Star Ratings Fall for Second Consecutive Year

by Victoria Bailey

The average star ratings for Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D prescription drug plans fell for the second year in a row to 4.04 and 3.11 stars, respectively, CMS data revealed. The star rating...

How Quality Measures, Star Ratings Impact Healthcare Payers

by Editorial Staff

Quality performance metrics such as HEDIS, Medicare Advantage Star Ratings, and standardized core quality measures can give consumers an indication of healthcare payer quality. Standardized quality...

Medicare Advantage Quality Bonus Program Needs Reform, Report Finds

by Victoria Bailey

The Medicare Advantage quality bonus program overpays plans and does not effectively promote quality care, indicating that program reforms are needed, according to an Urban Institute report. The...

How 2023 Medicare Advantage Enrollment Growth Has Shifted

by Victoria Bailey

This article was originally published on 2/22/23. It has been updated to reflect corrected data from Chartis and CMS. Medicare Advantage enrollment has increased by 2.7 million beneficiaries in 2023...

Top 4 Medicare Advantage Penetration, Access Trends in 2023 Open Enrollment

by Kelsey Waddill

Medicare Advantage beneficiaries will have more health plan options available to them now than they have at any point in over a decade, according to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation....

MA, Part D Contracts See Lower 2023 Medicare Advantage Star Ratings

by Victoria Bailey

The average star ratings for Medicare Advantage plans with prescription drug coverage and Part D plans were 4.15 and 3.25, which marked decreases from last year, the 2023 Medicare Advantage Star...

Problems with Medicare Advantage Payment System Contribute to Overpayment

by Kelsey Waddill

The Medicare Advantage program has serious structural problems that lead to overpayment and policymakers must take action on MedPAC’s recommendations in order to create a more cost-effective...

MedPAC Releases Medicare Advantage Recommendations, BMA Reacts

by Kelsey Waddill

MedPAC’s March 2022 recommendations to Congress for Medicare Advantage payment policies have roused reactions from payers, specifically Better Medicare Alliance. At the beginning of the report...

Payer Orgs Respond to CMS Medicare Advantage Advance Notice

by Kelsey Waddill

Payer organizations such as AHIP and the Alliance for Community Health Plans (ACHP) have raised some concerns in their comments on the advance notice of methodological changes for Medicare Advantage...

High Health Insurance Literacy Tied to Medicare Advantage Enrollment

by Victoria Bailey

Medicare beneficiaries with high health insurance literacy were more likely to enroll in Medicare Advantage and select low-cost plans with high Medicare Advantage star ratings, compared to those with...

CMS Seeks Input on Medicare Advantage, Part D Health Equity Index

by Kelsey Waddill

In the 2023 Medicare Advantage and Part D Advance Notice, CMS is requesting comments on the agency’s health equity index which it seeks to introduce into Part D and Medicare Advantage Star...

MA Quality Bonus Program Did Not Boost Overall Performance Quality

by Victoria Bailey

The Medicare Advantage quality bonus program did not lead to any significant improvements in overall performance quality for Medicare Advantage plans, a Health Affairs report found. CMS introduced the...

87 Contracts Score 5 Stars on 2022 Medicare Advantage Star Ratings

by Kelsey Waddill

Over nine in ten Medicare Advantage-prescription drug plans (94.26 percent) received a 3.5 star rating or higher on the 2022 Medicare Advantage Star Ratings, with an average star rating of 4.37 stars,...

Medicare Advantage Double Bonus Payments Boost Racial Disparities

by Kelsey Waddill

Black beneficiaries are less likely to live in counties with a high enough Medicare Advantage quality performance to be eligible for Medicare Advantage double bonus payments, a Health Affairs report...

ACHP: Current Medicare Advantage Benchmark Caps Penalize Seniors

by Kelsey Waddill

The Alliance of Community Health Plans (ACHP) voiced its support for the Quality Payment Relief Act, which the organization argued would correct the use of Medicare Advantage benchmark caps and enable...

The Fundamentals of Medicare Advantage Star Rating Methodology

by Kelsey Waddill

The way to determine the quality of a Medicare Advantage health plan is simple: look at the five-star rating on the Medicare website. However, the Medicare Advantage Star Rating methodology that...

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