Risk Management

Medicare Advantage RADV Rule May Prompt More Legal Action from Payers

September 19, 2023 - Payers have not reacted lightly to the Medicare Advantage Risk Adjustment Data Validation (RADV) final rule. Major payer Humana made the strongest display of disapproval by filing a lawsuit against CMS that seeks to invalidate the regulation. More payers are expected to follow Humana’s lead. In the meantime, Medicare Advantage organizations should focus on having complete...


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HHS Finalizes Medicare Advantage Risk Adjustment Data Validation Program Rule

by Kelsey Waddill

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released a final rule that aims to introduce more oversight into the Medicare Advantage risk adjustment data validation and payment...

Provider Orgs Join Full-Risk Value-Based Care Contracts with BCBSM

by Victoria Bailey

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) is helping advance the shift to value-based care by initiating full-risk reimbursement arrangements with six provider organizations. The agreements are for...

4 Tools for Managing Risk in Medicaid Managed Care Organizations

by Kelsey Waddill

States have four main tools at their disposal for managing risk in Medicaid managed care organizations, according to a MACPAC issue brief. Medicaid managed care organizations are reimbursed in a...

Two Critical Impacts of 2021 Special Enrollment Period Gains

by Kelsey Waddill

The 2021 special enrollment period gains on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces could have downstream impacts on enrollment-related factors such as customer service investments and risk...

Shared Financial Risk of Dialysis May Lead to Medicare Cost Saving

by Hannah Nelson

One-third of adults who began dialysis with an employer-based group health plan (EGHP) switched to Medicare before the coordination period finished, resulting in $3 billion additional Medicare costs...

ACA Risk Adjustment Worked as Intended in 2018, CMS Reports

by Kelsey Waddill

CMS recently released a summary report of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) risk adjustment program for the 2018 benefit year, asserting in the report that the data proves the program acted as intended...

CMS Suspends $10.4B in Risk Adjustment Payments to Payers

by Thomas Beaton

CMS has temporarily withheld $10.4 billion in risk adjustment payments for 654 healthcare payers, citing a ruling in the US District Court of New Mexico that invalidated the agency’s risk...

Mercy Health, Centene Form Medicaid Accountable Care Organization

by Thomas Beaton

Mercy Health of Arkansas and the Centene Corporation have received approval to operate an accountable care organization within the state focusing on Medicaid beneficiaries, the organizations announced...

How to Create Balanced Risk Pools that Lower Premiums

by Thomas Beaton

Payers have been increasingly challenged to manage the high cost of healthcare while lowering the premiums their beneficiaries pay.  Creating balanced risk pools that benefit medically complex...

Narrow Provider Networks are 16% Cheaper for ACA Plans

by Thomas Beaton

Economists from Harvard Business School and Northeastern University found individual ACA silver plans with narrow provider networks were 16 percent cheaper for consumers and offer payers a promising...

ACA Risk Adjustment Leads Northwell to Shutter Insurance Plan

by Thomas Beaton

Northwell Health will end the sale of its CareConnect health plans in New York after hefty risk adjustment payments resulted in financial losses for the program, the health system announced. ACA risk...

Stop-Loss Insurance a Growing Market Opportunity for Healthcare

by Thomas Beaton

Even though payers may experience higher total revenues on commercial self-insurance, stop-loss and third-party protected insurance revenues have been growing at a higher rate with stronger market...

ACA Risk Adjustment, Reinsurance Improved Payer Financials

by Thomas Beaton

A new study published in Health Affairs found risk adjustment and reinsurance provisions of the Affordable Care Act improved financial outcomes for certain payers with higher risk enrollees....

Did HHS Act Illegally in Transitional Reinsurance Program?

by Vera Gruessner

At the end of September, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) announced in a briefing that the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) does not have the authority to transfer funds from...