Medicare

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) suggested several changes to Medicare Advantage (MA) plan benchmark calculations, with the intent to generate yield savings for Medicare, and urged CMS to streamline alternative payment model (APMs) where it can.

In a 7 to 2 decision, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will stand, as plaintiffs seeking to declare the law unconstitutional did not have standing.

The researchers created a model that simulated what would happen when health systems and providers began working together in Medicare accountable care organizations (ACOs) in arrangements that did not extend to outright mergers or acquisitions.

Davey Daniel, MD, hematology/medical oncology specialist, Tennessee Oncology, discusses findings of an abstract presented at ASCO 2021 showing a lower total cost of care paid by Medicare for episodes of care for patients in the Oncology Care Model (OCM) enrolled in clinical trials vs those receiving routine care.

Although most Medicare Part D plans cover guideline-recommended outpatient chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) inhalers, the utilization controls applied to these therapies vary by plan type.

In a review of literature published since the Affordable Care Act’s passage, more than half of analyses find that Medicare Advantage outperforms traditional Medicare on quality, health, and cost outcomes.

To be sustainable and successful, Medicare alternative payment models (APMs) have to attract and retain high and low performers. That requires a different approach to pricing and evaluation.

During her opening plenary at the NAACOS Spring 2021 Conference, Liz Fowler, PhD, JD, deputy administrator and director of the Center of Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, highlighted how the center is taking a pause to reassess its models and what is coming next.

Patients enrolled in Medicare Advantage had better outcomes and lower cost following skilled nursing facility (SNF) discharge than patients enrolled in traditional fee-for-service Medicare.

In the debate of administrative expenses for public and private Medicare, we show incompatibility and extend the analysis to income, benefits, and loss ratio comparisons.

Medicare Advantage plans have a clear opportunity to improve quality by delivering more comprehensive, timely medication reconciliation services to recently discharged members.