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February 1, 2024

MA Issues Trickle Down To Providers And Vendors This article focuses on Medicare Advantage (MA) troubles – rates, utilization, medical expense, and punitive regulatory requirements – and how they impact insurers, value-based-care providers, and vendors. My intel suggests that the traditionally flush global and partial risk funds that insurers have with providers around the country (providers share in profits when they help reduce costs and improve quality) have dried up or are drying up. Providers are already attacking insurers on numerous issues and this development will only make such relationships even worse. Note as well the reference to MA plans emphasizing profitability by reining in market growth and benefits.  I say just this in my blog on the topic here: https://www.healthcarelabyrinth.com/with-boom-over-will-medicare-advantage-collapse-or-adjust/ . As well, see my just published blog on the 2025 MA payment proposal: https://www.healthcarelabyrinth.com/2025-rates-for-medicare-advantage-plans-look-tight/ (Article may require a subscription.) #medicareadvantage #vbc #providers Link to Article Scan Group CEO Recommends

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January 31, 2024

Another Flat Year For Medicare Advantage Before Risk Score Trends The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the 2025 rate hike for Medicare Advantage will be relatively flat. This is similar to what happened in 2024 after big increases in 2022 and 2023.  The effective growth rate was up, but the phase-in of a new risk adjustment model basically offsets those gains. The final notice may push these numbers up a bit. If you include risk score trends, MA revenue could increase by about 3.7%. So real revenue should be up, but health plans don’t like thinking of it that way as they think risk score trends tie to increased medical exposure.  I include all these articles here but read with caution as many reporters interpret things differently. In the end, this is not the worst news, but it is bad in the face of some major medical

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January 30, 2024

Health Policies To Watch In 2024 The Peterson-Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracker has a good briefer on expected healthcare policy issues to watch in 2024.  Among the many include site-neutral policies, price transparency, drug pricing and trends, PBM reform, drug price differences around the developed world for weight-loss drugs, value-based care and payments, and anti-trust activity.  A great primer! #peterson #kff #healthcare #healthcarereform Link to Article Kaiser Family Foundation Publishes Analysis Of Medicare Advantage Enrollment Drivers The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) briefer on why Americans are choosing Medicare Advantage (MA) is an important read.  I do not agree with everything in it, including references to a recent MedPAC analysis, but MA proponents will have a very good understanding of the threats presented. KFF providers ten reasons. MA is expected to hit at least 60% of beneficiaries by 2030 and that payments to MA are right now about 123% higher, or

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