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Aetna Medicare Retail Program

Posted by www.psmbrokerage.com Admin on Mon, Aug 12, 2019 @ 01:34 PM

Aetna Retail blog

Aetna has just released details on their 2020 retail program and you do not want to miss out on this exciting opportunity. Below are some highlights.

Why should I participate?

Access to high traffic retail locations that can drive leads and sales
Program requirements that are more relaxed than industry norms
Cost efficient bundles that are competitively priced
Agents have the opportunity for a $100 MMS credit

How much does it cost?

CVS location will cost $275
All other retail locations will cost $175

Request details today and one of our marketing representatives with send you all the details on how to participate.

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Tags: Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, aetna, Retail Program

2020 AHIP and Carrier Certifications: Tips and Reminders

Posted by www.psmbrokerage.com Admin on Mon, Aug 12, 2019 @ 11:03 AM

2020 AHIP and Carrier Certifications: Tips and Reminders

Prepare. 2020 AHIP and Carrier Certifications take time and brain power. It's a good idea to set aside a sufficient amount of time and energy to thoroughly comprehend and complete the required training.

Pace yourself. Rushing though certifications can greatly hinder you from learning essential information. It can also decrease the likeliness of passing the course. Taking small breaks between sections is an effective way to pace yourself throughout the training.

Pay attention. There are oftentimes important updates within the certification training. It is imperative that agents grasp the information being shared. These certifications also serve as excellent refreshers. Take advantage of the materials provided and challenge yourself to learn the information rather than simply pass the tests.

Don't procrastinate! These certifications are not only helpful to you as an agent, but most are required for agents to complete in order to sell the products. The longer you wait, the more opportunities you'll miss out on.

Remember! Do not write any new business until you receive the carrier's "Ready to Sell" notification.

For more information regarding AHIP's Medicare Course, and a discount for the AHIP certification,visit our AHIP Information page

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Tags: Medicare Advantage, Medicare, Medicare Supplement, Medicare Part D

State of Medicare Advantage

Posted by www.psmbrokerage.com Admin on Tue, Aug 06, 2019 @ 01:09 PM

Every day 10,000 seniors age into Medicare.

According to the US Census Bureau, the number of Americans over age 65 is projected to double over the next four decades, growing from nearly 48 million seniors today to about 98 million by 2060.¹

By 2030, the entire baby boom generation will be older than age 65, meaning one in five U.S. residents will be over 65. In 2035, just five years later, roughly 78 million Americans will be over age 65.²

Not only is the aging population growing but older adults are also living longer, and many are living with serious chronic conditions. 67% of Medicare beneficiaries have two or more chronic conditions. Nearly all health costs are driven by patients with chronic conditions, for whom the federal government is the dominant payer. Individuals with multiple chronic conditions account for 94% of Medicare spending.³

As health care costs continue to increase and consumer costs rise, there is an urgency to improve quality and manage costs. The future of Medicare is the move away from traditional fee-for-service (FFS) models, which reimburse care based on volume of services provided. Medicare Advantage instead rewards the value of health outcomes delivered, which is essential to achieve better outcomes and better costs. Medicare Advantage, the modern, private-public option, is the future of Medicare.³

Medicare Advantage is leading the innovative use of value-based care offering beneficiaries the choice of an integrated care plan, with a focus on patient-centered primary care, early intervention, and care coordination. It means greater simplicity, affordability, and enhanced benefits to improve health and well-being for the millions of individuals.

Today, one in three Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in Medicare Advantage, benefiting from a higher quality of care at lower consumer costs.⁴

Demographics

Total Medicare Advantage enrollment has nearly doubled over the last decade and is projected to increase to nearly 41% of total Medicare enrollment by 2027. The Medicare Advantage population is increasingly diverse and complex with higher rates of clinical and social risk factors than comparable beneficiaries in Traditional FFS Medicare.

As of March 2019, 60.7 million beneficiaries were enrolled in Medicare, of which 22 million were enrolled in Medicare Advantage, accounting for 36% of total Medicare enrollment as of May 2019.⁵⁶ Medicare Advantage enrollment will surpass 22 million by the end of 2019, marking an 11.5% increase from 2018.⁷ Over the past decade, Medicare Advantage enrollment has grown by nearly 50%.⁸ Medicare Advantage enrollment growth has been spurred by strong enrollment growth in employer-sponsored retiree plans, called “EGWPs”, as well as Special Needs Plans (SNPs).

In 2019, 44% of prescription drug coverage Part D enrollees are in integrated Medicare Advantage-Prescription Drug (MA-PD) plans up 14% from 2007, making up a growing share of the total Part D population.⁹ In 2019, for the first time since the beginning of the Part D program, enrollment in standalone Part D prescription drug plans (PDPs) declined slightly while enrollment in MA-PD plans continued to grow.¹⁰

When compared to Traditional FFS Medicare, Medicare Advantage is the preferred option for those who are low-income and racial and ethnic minorities, and Medicare Advantage enrollees have higher rates of clinical and social risk factors:

Most recent data show nearly half of Medicare Advantage beneficiaries (46%) have annual incomes of less than $24,000, compared to 37% in Traditional FFS Medicare. Medicare Advantage enrollees are more likely (21%) to be dual-eligible for Medicaid than Traditional FFS Medicare beneficiaries (17%).
About 28% of Medicare Advantage beneficiaries are minorities, compared to 21% in Traditional FFS Medicare. 57% of Hispanic/Latino Medicare beneficiaries choose Medicare Advantage and 14% of beneficiaries in Medicare Advantage are Hispanic/Latino, while only 6% of Traditional FFS Medicare beneficiaries are Hispanic/Latino.¹¹
Medicare Advantage beneficiaries are 64% more likely to enroll in Medicare due to disability, have a 57% higher rate of serious mental illness, and have 16% higher rate of alcohol, drug, or substance abuse.¹²

Access & Affordability

Access to Medicare Advantage plans is nearly universal and plan choices continue to grow each year.

In 2019, Medicare beneficiaries have access to nearly 3,700 plans offered across the country, an increase from 3,100 in 2018.¹³ Medicare Advantage’s framework allows flexibility to cover more services and benefits than Traditional FFS Medicare. Medicare Advantage beneficiaries choose plans based on cost of premiums and cost-sharing, covered services, provider networks, and the plan’s quality rating.

In 2019, 99% of Medicare beneficiaries have access to at least one Medicare Advantage plan, but on average there are 34 plan choices per county. 100% Medicare beneficiaries have access to a stand-alone prescription drug plan and 93% reside in counties served by at least one type of SNP.¹⁴ ¹⁵
In 2019, 94% of Medicare Advantage enrollees have access to at least one $0 premium plan, 90% have access to at least one $0 premium plan with drug coverage, and 46% of enrollees are in a $0 premium plan.¹⁶

Over the past four years, the average monthly premium in Medicare Advantage has decreased, from $32.91 in 2015.¹⁷ CMS estimated that the Medicare Advantage average monthly premiums would decrease by $1.81 to $28.00 in 2019.
When comparing average annual out-of-pocket costs, Traditional FFS Medicare beneficiaries spend about $550 more than Medicare Advantage beneficiaries, and they also paid about 35% more on prescription drugs.¹⁸

In addition, the number of Medicare Advantage plans offering vision, dental, and hearing benefits, not available in Traditional FFS Medicare, has increased.¹⁹ According to CMS, over 97% of Medicare Advantage plans offer at least a vision, hearing, or dental benefit and half of Medicare Advantage plans offer all three benefits. Vision benefits are the most commonly offered additional benefit, with about 94% of plans including or offering a vision benefit.²⁰

Medicare Advantage plans are now allowed to offer new benefit flexibilities to better integrate medical and non-medical care, particularly for chronically ill beneficiaries.²¹ ²² ²³ In 2019, for the first time, 270 Medicare Advantage plans are offering about 1.5 million enrollees these new types of supplemental benefits at no additional cost.

Cost-Effectiveness

Average per capita costs in Medicare Advantage and Traditional Medicare are nearly equal across the populations, but costs for dual-eligibles are lower in Medicare Advantage then in Traditional FFS Medicare. Medicare Advantage has additional positive spillover effects on the Medicare system, which improve quality of care and lower costs for all beneficiaries.

Because Medicare Advantage is able to provide care coordination and engage in value-based arrangements with providers, it has proven to better control costs when compared to Traditional FFS Medicare. In fact, one study showed that health care spending is 25% lower for Medicare Advantage enrollees than for enrollees in Traditional FFS Medicare in the same county with the same risk score.²⁵ In 2019, 76% of Medicare Advantage plans submitted bids (the amount they expect to spend per enrolled beneficiary) that were below Traditional FFS Medicare benchmarks (the amount Traditional FFS Medicare expects to spend per beneficiary). 83% of Medicare Advantage beneficiaries are enrolled in plans who bid lower than FFS benchmarks. A portion of the funds between the bid and the benchmark are available to the plans to be used for benefits that directly effect the beneficiaries, like supplemental benefits and reduced cost sharing. Medicare now spends roughly the same per beneficiary, on average, for Medicare Advantage as it does for Traditional FFS Medicare, achieving payment parity.²⁶

Through value-based care, Medicare Advantage changes the incentives for providers so that they are rewarded for improving quality outcomes. Research has also demonstrated that when Medicare Advantage is prevalent in a health care market, it can positively influence how providers deliver care to all patients, not just Medicare Advantage beneficiaries. These studies have demonstrated that Medicare Advantage has both decreased costs and improved quality outcomes for beneficiaries in Traditional FFS Medicare, a phenomenon known as positive spillover.²⁷

One study found that Medicare Advantage enrollees were significantly less likely (10%) than Traditional FFS Medicare beneficiaries to have avoidable hospitalizations, which resulted in decreased hospitalizations for Traditional FFS Medicare as well.²⁸
Another study showed the risk-adjusted 30-day readmission rate among Medicare Advantage enrollees was 13% to 20% lower than the rate in Traditional FFS Medicare.²⁹
Researchers found that a 10% increase in Medicare Advantage penetration was associated with improved performance in Traditional FFS Medicare, including a 2.4% to 4.7% reduction in hospital costs.³⁰
Another study found that when more beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans, hospital costs declined for all Medicare beneficiaries and other commercially insured populations.³¹
An article found the average length of stay for Medicare patients younger than 65, eligible for Medicare based on disability or end-stage renal disease, was 12.4% shorter for beneficiaries in Medicare Advantage as compared with those in Traditional FFS Medicare.³²

In general, Medicare Advantage beneficiaries experience more efficient use of health care resources and lower rates of hospitalization, comparable to or better than those in Traditional FFS Medicare:

Complex chronically ill beneficiaries in Medicare Advantage experience 23% fewer inpatient hospital stays and 33% fewer emergency room visits than in Traditional FFS Medicare;
Medicare Advantage enrollees have 23% fewer inpatient hospital stays than Traditional FFS Medicare beneficiaries;
Medicare Advantage enrollees are 29% less likely to have potentially avoidable hospitalizations when compared to Traditional FFS Medicare beneficiaries; and
Medicare Advantage enrollees had 41% fewer avoidable acute hospitalizations than Traditional FFS Medicare beneficiaries.³³

Medicare Advantage is leading the innovative use of value-based care which results in positive spillover to the Medicare system, delivering cost savings for beneficiaries and the Medicare Trust Fund.

High-Quality Care

Medicare Advantage provides beneficiaries access to high-quality care with a focus on outcomes. Quality measurement in Medicare Advantage, through the use of a Five-Star Quality Rating System that are directly linked to payment incentivizes plans to work with providers to improve performance on a set of outcomes measures.

The Star Ratings System in Medicare Advantage plays a critical role in promoting quality, ensuring public accountability, and giving beneficiaries the tools to choose high-quality plans. Star Ratings evaluate Medicare Advantage plans on 1-5 scale, with a 5-Star rating being the highest quality and performance is based on 48 health plan and prescription drug-specific measures including consumer experience.³⁴ ³⁵ A recent study found Medicare Advantage operating within three diverse states provided substantially higher quality of care than Traditional FFS Medicare in all 16 clinical quality measures examined.³⁶

Most Medicare Advantage beneficiaries are in high-quality plans. Star Ratings allow beneficiaries to make choices based on plan performance which is displayed online on Medicare Plan Finder to assist beneficiaries and their caregivers in comparing plan options. In 2019, approximately 74% of beneficiaries are projected to be in Medicare Advantage health plans with prescription drug coverage rated 4 stars or higher. Medicare Advantage Star Ratings moved the percent of individuals in high-quality plans from 24% to 74% in just nine years.³⁷

Medicare Advantage plans with at least a 4-Star rating receive quality bonus payments on the rebates which are required by law to directly benefit beneficiaries. Rebates and bonus payments enable Medicare Advantage plans to invest in innovations, including home-based care, risk stratification to identify high need patients, care management, wellness programs, telemedicine, and additional benefits.

BLOG PIC 7 8619

High-Value Care

Research demonstrates Medicare Advantage is leading the way towards the shift from volume-based, fragmented care to value-based care that results in improved health outcomes.

High-value care is accomplished through innovations in care delivery and dynamic payment arrangements. Value-based arrangements in Medicare Advantage focus on care teams and the identification of high risk, high need patients. Most Medicare Advantage plans and providers have value-based arrangements in place. In a recent study, 54% of family physicians indicate their practices participate in value-based payment models and they are making an impact on care delivery.³⁸

According to a 2017 national survey of health plans, including Medicare Advantage plans, value-based payment arrangements were bending the cost curve and reducing unnecessary medical costs by 5.6% on average.³⁹

Value-based contracting promotes smarter health care utilization patterns and improves clinical outcomes among beneficiaries with chronic conditions.⁴⁰ Providers surveyed in a Deloitte report stated that high disease burden in Medicare Advantage can present greater opportunities for savings and quality improvements.⁴¹ Another recent study found value-based contracting in Medicare Advantage generated costs savings and 32% lower risk of death.⁴² ⁴³

Research consistently demonstrates that Medicare Advantage beneficiaries have better health outcomes and higher rates of return to the community than those enrolled in Traditional FFS Medicare. For example, one study showed emergency room visits were 25% lower for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries, and another study showed Medicare Advantage helps beneficiaries have more healthy days in the community.⁴⁴ ⁴⁵

There is also evidence that rates of annual preventive care were 25% higher in Medicare Advantage than in Traditional FFS Medicare for some of the most vulnerable seniors. Medicare Advantage also performs better in preventive screenings and tests rates, including low-density lipoprotein testing 5% higher and breast cancer screenings 13% higher.⁴⁶ ⁴⁷

Building the Evidence: Key Research

Studies show that Medicare Advantage plans drive down medical costs in the health care system. A three-year Medicare Advantage cancer management program provided $3 million in savings, while maintaining high quality.⁴⁸

Medicare Advantage beneficiaries with diabetes enrolled in a diabetes-focused Chronic Condition Special Needs Plans (C-SNPs) are more likely to receive primary care services, less likely to have a hospital admission, and more likely to adhere to their antidiabetic medications and receive diabetes-specific testing than beneficiaries enrolled in non-SNP plans.⁴⁹

One study comparing enrollees in a Medicaid-only program and those in a fully integrated Medicare-Medicaid program found enrollees in the integrated program were 48% less likely to have a hospital stay.⁵⁰

University of Michigan researchers also found that Medicare Advantage plans were largely able to eliminate racial disparities for risk-factor control for hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes in Western states from 2006 through 2011.⁵¹

RAND researchers found that Medicare Advantage plans have positive trends in closing racial/ethnic disparities in quality of health care HEDIS measures between 2008 and 2012.⁵² Women in racial and ethnic minority groups have higher mammography rates in Medicare Advantage than in Traditional FFS Medicare.⁵³

Racial/Ethnic disparities in primary care quality may be lower in Medicare Advantage than in Traditional FFS Medicare.⁵⁴

Data show a 19% reduction in hospital inpatient days and a 28% reduction in hospital admissions for chronically ill C-SNP diabetic patients in Medicare Advantage as compared to Traditional FFS Medicare diabetic patients.⁵⁵

Growth & Support

Medicare Advantage is successful because policymakers, health plans, providers and beneficiaries recognize the value achieved by a fully integrated care delivery system. Medicare Advantage beneficiaries report very high levels of satisfaction: 92% are satisfied with the quality of care received, 89% are satisfied with the selection of available doctors, and 81% said they believe they experience better health outcomes with Medicare Advantage.⁵⁶

Providers are also increasingly realizing the value of the capitated, integrated model offered under Medicare Advantage. In 2016, providers represented 58% of new Medicare Advantage organizations entering the program.⁵⁷ According to the American Medical Group Association, Medicare Advantage plans accounted for 30% of revenues and fully capitated Medicare Advantage payments were 24% of revenues in 2018, an increase from 10% in 2016.⁵⁸

Medicare Advantage has shown strong bipartisan support among members of Congress. In 2019, 368 members of Congress signed letters in support of Medicare Advantage, including 66 newly-elected freshman members of the House of Representatives.

KEY QUOTES:

CMS: “Medicare Advantage remains a popular choice among beneficiaries and has high satisfaction ratings.”⁵⁹

“I think [Medicare Advantage] is a great option for our seniors.”

HHS Secretary Azar ⁶⁰

“The success of Medicare Advantage and the prescription drug program demonstrates what a strong and transparent health market can do—increase quality while lowering costs.”

CMS Administrator Seema Verma ⁶¹

CMS: “Medicare Advantage has been successful in providing Medicare beneficiaries with options so that they can choose the healthcare that best fits their individual health needs. The Medicare Advantage program demonstrates the value of private sector innovation and creativity…”⁶²

MedPAC: “The Commission strongly supports the inclusion of private plans in the Medicare program; beneficiaries should be able to choose between the traditional FFS Medicare program and alternative delivery systems that private plans can provide. Because Medicare pays private plans a per person predetermined rate rather than a per service rate, plans have greater incentives than FFS providers to innovate and use care-management techniques.”⁶³

“Medicare Advantage is an important component of choice for Medicare-eligible Americans…The intrinsic value of MA is that people enrolled in the program receive coordinated care, thus improving their chances of staying healthy or recovering from their illnesses.”

Former Secretary of HHS (2009–2014) Kathleen Sebelius ⁶⁴

References:

^{11. Analysis of 2016 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) Data, Provided by Anne Tumlinson Innovations.}

^{12. Medicare Advantage Achieves Cost-Effective Care and Better Outcomes for Beneficiaries with Chronic Conditions Relative to Fee-for-Service Medicare. Avalere Health, July 2018.}

^{18. Analysis of 2016 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) Data, Provided by Anne Tumlinson Innovations.}

^{19. Avalere Analysis of 2018 Medicare Advantage Enrollment, 3/18.}

^{56. Morning Consult, Medicare Advantage Beneficiary Survey, September 2018}

Source: https://www.bettermedicarealliance.org/about-medicare-advantage/state-medicare-advantage

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Tags: Medicare Advantage, Medicare, Medicare Supplement, Medicare Part D

Humana's Medicare Advantage Enrollment Soars

Posted by www.psmbrokerage.com Admin on Mon, Aug 05, 2019 @ 04:15 PM

Humana increased its full-year projections for Medicare Advantage growth to a “range of 480,000 to 500,00 members,” or 16% growth for 2019. That compares to a previous range of 415,000 to 440,000, the insurer reported.

Humana is the latest health insurer to tout solid profits thanks in part to seniors flocking to Medicare Advantage. Centene, WellCare Health Plans, UnitedHealth Group and Anthem have already reported record Medicare Advantage enrollment as well and Cigna will release its updated second-quarter figures on Thursday.

Medicare Advantage plans contract with the federal government to provide extra benefits and services to seniors, such as disease management and nurse help hotlines, with some even providing vision and dental care and wellness programs. And the federal government has changed rules to allow private health insurers to offer more supplemental benefits in Medicare Advantage plans they sell.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucejapsen/2019/07/31/as-democrats-debate-humana-sees-record-medicare-advantage-growth/#229eed0e12eb

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Tags: Humana, Medicare Advantage, Medicare

New Report Examines Medicare Advantage Supplemental Benefit Policies

Posted by www.psmbrokerage.com Admin on Mon, Aug 05, 2019 @ 03:32 PM

A new report from the AARP Public Policy Institute examines changes to Medicare Advantage (MA) supplemental benefit policies and the implications for people with Medicare.

MA plans have long been able to offer benefits beyond what is required by law. However, the Balanced Budget Act of 2018 and recent regulatory decisions, including those in the 2019 Part C and D final rule and the Final Call Letter for 2019, have greatly increased this authority.

Among the reforms with significant consequences for consumers are those that expand the array of benefits MA plans can offer and grant the insurers more latitude to design and target those packages.

Source: https://blog.medicarerights.org/new-report-examines-medicare-advantage-supplemental-benefit-policies/

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Tags: Medicare Advantage, Medicare, Medicare Supplement, Medicare Part D

Medicare Plan Finder Being Updated

Posted by www.psmbrokerage.com Admin on Mon, Aug 05, 2019 @ 03:10 PM

Process is too complex for beneficiaries to use it effectively

The CMS is planning to launch updates to its Medicare Plan Finder this month after a report from a government watchdog flagged significant usability concerns with the tool. The GAO analyzed the experience of comparing plans on MPF and found 58% of beneficiaries described the process as “difficult” while just 13% of beneficiaries said it was easy. “These selections can be difficult due to the Medicare program’s complexity, and can have important implications for beneficiaries’ out-of-pocket costs and access to providers,” the GAO said. This can limit a beneficiary’s ability to compare their options in traditional Medicare fully with Medicare Advantage plans, according to the report. The tool also lacks information on provider networks offered in M/A plans, which can also confuse the selection process, since it requires a beneficiary to visit individual plan websites to find that information.

Source: https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/payer/cms-tees-up-medicare-plan-finder-update-amid-usability-concerns-gao

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Tags: Medicare Advantage, Medicare, Medicare Supplement, Medicare Part D

Answers to Everything Medicare

Posted by www.psmbrokerage.com Admin on Mon, Aug 05, 2019 @ 02:14 PM

In its annual Data Book report, MedPac’s exhaustive 206-page report on All Things Medicare addresses pretty much anything and everything you ever wanted to know about Medicare. Such as: the Congressional Budget Office projects nearly half of all Medicare beneficiaries (47%) will be in a Medicare Advantage plan by 2029; Medicare paid M/A plans about $230 billion in 2018 to cover Part A and Part B services for M/A enrollees; the number of M/A plans from which beneficiaries may choose in 2019 is higher than at any time since 2012; in 2019, beneficiaries may choose from an average of 23 M/A plans operating in their county.

Medicare Advantage Enrollment: 2003-2019

In 2017, 88% of Beneficiaries Were Enrolled in Part D

In 2017, more than three-quarters of Medicare beneficiaries either signed up for Part D plans or had prescription drug coverage through employer-sponsored plans. Other enrollees in stand-alone PDPs accounted for 30% of all Medicare beneficiaries. Another 22% of beneficiaries were enrolled in MA–PDs and did not receive low-income subsidies.

Source: http://medpac.gov/docs/default-source/data-book/jun19_databook_entirereport_sec.pdf?sfvrsn=0

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Tags: Medicare Advantage, Medicare, Medicare Supplement, Medicare Part D

As Medicare population booms, MA plans eye growth opportunities

Posted by www.psmbrokerage.com Admin on Thu, Aug 01, 2019 @ 04:06 PM

As Medicare population booms, MA plans eye growth opportunities

Business is booming in Medicare Advantage, and many insurers say they have plans to grow M/A, says a new survey; 201 insurance executives who work with M/A plans found 92% were either growing or intended to grow their M/A business more quickly than traditional Medicare business lines. In 2019, 22 million people chose an M/A plan over traditional Medicare, which is about 34% of the total Medicare population. “It's a super competitive market, where you don’t have to hit that big of a critical mass number,” said Steve Krupa, CEO of HealthEdge. “If you have 10,000 to 20,000 members, you have a substantial revenue base.”

Source: https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/payer/survey-as-medicare-population-booms-ma-plans-eye-growth-opportunities

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Tags: Medicare Advantage

CMS Admin Endorses Medicare Advantage

Posted by www.psmbrokerage.com Admin on Thu, Jul 25, 2019 @ 03:58 PM

CMS Admin Endorses Medicare Advantage

CMS Administrator Seema Verma declared Medicare Advantage the most successful (function) of Medicare. “What works in the Medicare program is Medicare Advantage, because plans are competing on the basis of cost and quality, driving toward value and increasing choices for beneficiaries,” Verma told attendees at the Better Medicare Alliance 2019 Medicare Advantage Summit. “Many of you are driving success in Medicare Advantage, and I thank all of you for the important work that you do.” M/A added 600 new plans in recent years, which Verma attributed to the reduced regulations. Patients enrolling in M/A also benefit from premiums that decreased 6% since last year.

Medicare Advantage enrollment increased 10% since last year.

Source: https://healthpayerintelligence.com/news/verma-supports-medicare-advantage-decries-public-option

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Tags: Medicare Advantage

Bright Health To Expand Medicare Advantage To Six More States in 2020

Posted by www.psmbrokerage.com Admin on Thu, Jul 25, 2019 @ 03:16 PM

Bright Health is the latest health insurer to announce plans to sell private Medicare Advantage plans in several new markets, hoping seniors flock to such coverage following federal rule changes that allow plans to offer more benefits.

The startup insurer said it will add seven new markets in six states for 2020. They are: the Orlando and Daytona areas of Florida; Palm Beach, Fla.; Chicago, Illinois; Omaha, Neb.; the Cleveland and Akron area of Ohio; Greenville, South Carolina and Memphis Tennessee. Bright Health currently sells Medicare Advantage plans in six metropolitan markets: Birmingham, Ala; Phoenix, Arizona; Denver, Colo.; New York City: several Ohio cities including Cincinnati and Nashville, Tenn.

Bright Health’s expansion into new regions is the latest expansion for such plans, which contract with the federal government to provide extra benefits and services to seniors, such as disease management and nurse help hotlines with some also offering vision, dental care and wellness programs. And now insurers are rolling out more supplemental benefits in their Medicare Advantage plans following rule changes implemented.

In Bright Health’s case, the new Medicare offerings are part of a major expansion of all of its business lines that include individual coverage, “family plans,” Medicare Advantage and supplemental Medicare plans.

In all, Bright Health said it will begin selling its array of plans in 13 new markets across seven states beginning next year. “This market expansion brings Bright Health Plan’s footprint to a total of 22 markets in 12 states, building on its sizable growth last year when it added products in Arizona, New York, Ohio and Tennessee,” the company said in its announcement Wednesday.

The expansions are still subject to final regulatory approvals by state insurance departments, but executives say the expansion shows financial strength and confidence consumers and investors have in the company.

“In just four years, we’ve grown from serving consumers in our pilot market of Colorado to serving tens of thousands of members across six states,” Bright Health CEO Bob Sheehy said. “This substantial growth shows that consumers are hungry for a new healthcare model that is simple, personal and more affordable. We’ve been able to meet this demand because our Health Plan Care Partner Model allows us to scale quickly and effectively, and our significant expansion in 2020 is further validation of that.”

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucejapsen/2019/07/24/bright-health-to-expand-medicare-advantage-to-six-more-states-in-2020/#24f2596f2a82

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Tags: Medicare Advantage, Bright Health

Medicare Blog | Medicare News | Medicare Information

Aetna Medicare Retail Program

2020 AHIP and Carrier Certifications: Tips and Reminders

State of Medicare Advantage

Building the Evidence: Key Research

KEY QUOTES:

References:

Humana's Medicare Advantage Enrollment Soars

New Report Examines Medicare Advantage Supplemental Benefit Policies

Medicare Plan Finder Being Updated

Answers to Everything Medicare

As Medicare population booms, MA plans eye growth opportunities

CMS Admin Endorses Medicare Advantage

Bright Health To Expand Medicare Advantage To Six More States in 2020

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