Medicare Advantage

Agent Tools Offer Information on 43% of Medicare Advantage Plans

by Kelsey Waddill

Agents play a major role in guiding members during Medicare Advantage plan enrollment, but their methods may limit members’ ability to know all of their health plan options, a...

Payer, Provider Launch Wellness-Focused Medicare Advantage Plan

by Kelsey Waddill

MVP Health Care and the University of Vermont (UVM) Health Network plan to form a Medicare Advantage plan with an emphasis on wellness, the non-profit payer and academic healthcare system...

UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage Dominates MA Enrollment 2021

by Kelsey Waddill

Increased enrollment in for-profit Medicare Advantage plans drove record-high Medicare Advantage enrollment levels in 2021 with UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans taking the lead, a...

Health Orgs Support MA Risk Adjustment For Audio-Only Telehealth

by Hannah Nelson

Prominent healthcare organizations have announced their support of new legislation that would allow for audio-only telehealth services to apply toward Medicare Advantage (MA) risk adjustment. In a...

Medicare Advantage Cost Burden Is Lower Than in FFS Medicare

by Kelsey Waddill

The Medicare Advantage cost burden—or the number of individuals for whom healthcare costs absorb 20 percent or more of their income—is lower than the fee-for-service Medicare cost burden...

Healthcare Literacy May Be Higher For Male Medicare Beneficiaries

by Kelsey Waddill

Male Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and older were more likely to say that they understood Medigap or Medicare Advantage plans and that the enrollment process was easy, according to a recent survey...

13 Areas of Low-Value Care Spending in Medicare Advantage Plans

by Kelsey Waddill

Although many studies have touted Medicare Advantage plans’ successes in diminishing low-value care and pursuing high-value care, there are at least 13 areas of low-value care in which Medicare...

Payer Boosts MA Chronic Kidney Management Access, Patient Outcomes

by Hannah Nelson

To increase access to chronic disease management and improve patient outcomes, Cigna has announced that an in-home kidney care program will be available to Medicare Advantage members in 11 additional...

NCQA Calls for Digital Quality Measures in Value-Based Care Plans

by Hannah Nelson

The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) released a report with health equity recommendations for HHS and CMS, including enabling a digital quality measure system and strengthening Medicare...

Rural Medicare Advantage Members Hit Care Access Snags, Switch Plans

by Hannah Nelson

Restricted provider networks under Medicare Advantage plans may pose care access barriers to rural beneficiaries, according to a new study published in Health Affairs. Researchers used Medicare...

Lower Spending Drives Senior Satisfaction with Medigap Policies

by Kelsey Waddill

Seniors who choose Medigap policies have high rates of satisfaction with their choice, particularly due to reduced out-of-pocket healthcare spending, according to a survey that America’s Health...

MA Members Could See High Out-of-Pocket Costs For COVID-19

by Hannah Nelson

High out-of-pocket costs may dissuade some Medicare Advantage beneficiaries from seeking COVID-19 care as payers eliminate cost-sharing waivers, according to a new American Journal of Preventive...

Humana Announces MA Chronic Disease Management, SDOH Model

by Kelsey Waddill

Humana has launched a pilot program for Humana Care Support to help seniors with chronic disease management through integrated care management and improved data analytics, the payer...

More MA Plans Offering Benefits for Members with Chronic Diseases

by Kelsey Waddill

In 2021, the number of Medicare Advantage members who enrolled in plans with additional supplemental benefits for members who have chronic diseases spiked dramatically, Avalere researchers found in a...

Consolidated Medicare Advantage Plans See Quality Improvement

by Kelsey Waddill

CMS Medicare Advantage Star Ratings accurately indicate patient outcomes, a Health Affairs study recently confirmed. “Higher star ratings have been found to be associated with increased...

Experts Call For Updated Medicare Advantage Star Ratings Survey

by Hannah Nelson

The survey that informs Medicare Advantage Star Ratings requires modernization to accurately gauge member experience and effectively promote value-based care, according to new research conducted...

MA Plans See 99% Member Satisfaction Among Non-White Members

by Kelsey Waddill

Almost all Medicare Advantage members are satisfied with their Medicare Advantage coverage and nonwhite members report slightly higher member satisfaction, according to a survey commissioned by Better...

4 Positive Trends That Continue to Define Medicare Advantage Plans

by Kelsey Waddill

Four trends have continued to define the Medicare Advantage space in recent years, fact sheets from the Alliance of Community Health Plans (ACHP) revealed. “Congress created Medicare Advantage...

CMS 2022 Final Rule Requires Part D Real-Time Drug Benefits Tool

by Kelsey Waddill

CMS has released its final rule for Contract Year 2022 Medicare Advantage and Part D which requires Part D plans to offer a real-time benefits comparison tool. The agency estimated that the...

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