New Poll Suggests MA Enrollees Have Issues With Prior Authorization, But Some Use Added Benefits A new poll says Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollees are more likely than those in traditional Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) to experience care delays due to prior authorization, but they do receive supplemental benefits not in the traditional program. While the rates of such use can always be better, a 70% member-use rate is encouraging.  Still, it is indeed time for MA plans to show their value by encouraging the use of all of the added benefits at reasonable rates. Proposed supplemental benefits reporting rules will encourage this trend. Overall, MA plans need to educate members thoroughly on all benefits, lest critics and researchers build a case that there is no added value. The critics continue to argue massive overpayments, which I do not agree with. One point just does not resonate with me. About 12% of

New CMS DSH Rule Will Reduce Medicaid Hospital Payments Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments are being cut by $8 billion annually for the nest five fiscal years based on a new rule finalized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).  The rule is purported to rein in overpayments. A recent study suggested that a liberal formula calculation meant a third of all qualifying hospitals should not have received payments.  CMS has been pushing to reduce such payments in favor of broad coverage. Additional articles: https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/providers/many-disproportionate-share-hospitals-face-lower-medicaid-payments-under-new-final-rule and https://www.modernhealthcare.com/policy/medicaid-dsh-cuts-safety-net-hospitals-cms-final-rule (Some articles may require a subscription.) #medicaid Link to Article HCSC Believes In Medicare Advantage As Cigna decided its investment in Medicare Advantage (MA) was too much on the health plan side, Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC) agreed with most large insurers that MA investments made sense.  It paid $3.3 billion for about 600,000 Cigna MA lives, bringing its total

Analysts Say Digital Health Facing Funding Challenges After record years of funding, digital health ventures are facing lean times to stay solvent. (Article may require a subscription.) #digitalhealth #healthcare Link to Article 2024 Financial Woes For Medicare Advantage Plans Excellent Healthcare Dive article on the potential financial woes for Medicare Advantage (MA) plans resulting from rising medical expense and insufficient rates.  I covered some of this in my blog here: https://www.healthcarelabyrinth.com/with-boom-over-will-medicare-advantage-collapse-or-adjust/ #medicareadvantage #rates Link to Article New Challenges For Providers On Medicare Drug Price Negotiations Interesting article on the impediments to provider entities suing on their fallout from the Medicare drug price negotiations. A judge found they have a lack of standing right now to sue. (Article may require a subscription.) #ira #drugpricing Link to Article AI Task Force In The House Similar to Senate interest, the House Speaker has formed a bipartisan task force on regulating AI in healthcare.