On February 1, 2017, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its draft 2018 Call Letter, an annual set of proposed rules, guidelines and clarifications for Part C Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D plans that wish to participate … [Read more...] about CMS Releases Final 2018 Call Letter: Too Little for Consumers
Medicare Advantage
What Would Work Better for You? Deciding Between Traditional Medicare and a Medicare Advantage Plan
In last week’s Alert, we posed 10 questions to ask before deciding between traditional Medicare and a Medicare Advantage Plan. This week we discuss what your answers may mean.Do you qualify for payment assistance or have access to other … [Read more...] about What Would Work Better for You? Deciding Between Traditional Medicare and a Medicare Advantage Plan
10 Questions to Ask Before Deciding Between Traditional Medicare and a Medicare Advantage Plan
Do you qualify for payment assistance or have access to other coverage through any of the following... : Medicare Savings Program? Part D Low Income Subsidy? Employer/Military/Other Insurance? Medigap Plan? Which … [Read more...] about 10 Questions to Ask Before Deciding Between Traditional Medicare and a Medicare Advantage Plan
CMS Suspends New Applications for MA “Seamless Conversion” Enrollment
In a June 2016 Weekly Alert the Center wrote about a process called “seamless conversion enrollment” used by some insurance companies that offer Medicare Advantage (MA) plans to capture enrollment among their pre-Medicare plan … [Read more...] about CMS Suspends New Applications for MA “Seamless Conversion” Enrollment
The Center’s Long-Time Concerns Gain Attention
Prescription Drug PricingAn excellent and well-timed (given #Epi-gate) article appeared in this week’s Journal of the American Medical Association discussing the reason drug costs are so high in the U.S. According to the article, the major … [Read more...] about The Center’s Long-Time Concerns Gain Attention
Medicare Beneficiaries Still Prefer Traditional Medicare
A recent post by health economist Uwe Reinhardt in the Journal of the American Medical Association Forum discusses the fact that despite all the support Medicare Advantage (MA) plans have received, the vast majority of Medicare beneficiaries still … [Read more...] about Medicare Beneficiaries Still Prefer Traditional Medicare
Case Study: Enrolled In a Medicare Advantage Plan Without Her Knowledge Through “Seamless Conversion Enrollment”
October 21, 2016 - Update on Seamless Conversion: CMS is revisiting the seamless conversion enrollment policy and is temporarily suspending its acceptance of any new seamless enrollment proposals. Read more...Ms. M., a Medicare beneficiary … [Read more...] about Case Study: Enrolled In a Medicare Advantage Plan Without Her Knowledge Through “Seamless Conversion Enrollment”
Government Auditor Finds Billions in Improper Payments to Medicare Advantage Plans Coupled with Inadequate Oversight by Federal Regulator
This week the General Accounting Office (GAO) issued a report entitled “Medicare Advantage: Fundamental Improvements Needed in CMS’s Effort to Recover Substantial Amounts of Improper Payments. The report states that the Centers for … [Read more...] about Government Auditor Finds Billions in Improper Payments to Medicare Advantage Plans Coupled with Inadequate Oversight by Federal Regulator
CMS Policy Change Allows Windfall for Medicare Advantage Plans Under Sanction
On March 8, 2016, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a memorandum entitled “Suspension of Policy Providing for Automatic Reduction of Star Ratings for Contracts Operating Under Intermediate Sanction.”Through … [Read more...] about CMS Policy Change Allows Windfall for Medicare Advantage Plans Under Sanction
Kaiser Family Foundation Releases Reports on MA and Part D in 2016
In a report entitled “Medicare Part D: A First Look at Plan Offerings in 2016” (October 2015), the Kaiser Family Foundation analyzed the Part D market in 2016 and found, among other things, that:In 2016, beneficiaries in each … [Read more...] about Kaiser Family Foundation Releases Reports on MA and Part D in 2016