This week we are reading an update on Medicare Advantage rules determining supplemental benefits and the AHIP State of Medigap 2018 report.
New Medicare Advantage rules hold big potential for pop health | HealthcareDive | June 13, 2018
Improving health outcomes using population health strategies could get a major boost with a new Medicare Advantage rule taking effect this week.
Payers will now be able to work with companies like Uber or Lyft to provide transportation, for example, as part of a more complete set of benefits for the quickly growing MA population.
CMS issued a final rule in May giving MA plans more flexibility in determining the types of supplemental benefits they can offer chronically ill enrollees, including nonmedical benefits. The new policy, part of a broad 2019 Medicare payment rule, means plans like UnitedHealthcare and Humana aren’t harnessed to a set palette of supplemental benefits for members with chronic conditions, but can tailor them to the specific needs of individuals.
Read the full summary on HealthCareDive.com here.
Medigap plans rise in popularity but coverage geographically sparse, AHIP says | HealthCareDive | June 13, 2018
- More than a third of Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries had supplemental Medigap coverage at the end of 2016, according to a new report from America’s Health Insurance Plans.
- The number of people with Medigap, which helps patients cover out-of-pocket costs after fee-for-service Medicare coverage is applied, increased to 13.1 million in 2016 from 12.3 million a year earlier, and the percentage of traditional beneficiaries with the extra coverage increased to 34% from 31% in 2013, according to the report.
- AHIP found that a large percentage of Medigap enrollees had incomes below $30,000 (36%) and were from rural areas (41%).