A lack of data about Medicare Advantage plans means there are several unanswered questions about the program, according to an analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
The analysis, published April 25, breaks down the kind of Medicare Advantage data not publicly available. Some missing data is not collected from insurers by CMS, and some data is collected by the agency but not available to the public.
Here are five questions researchers can't answer without more data, according to KFF:
- Insurers are not required to report how many enrollees use supplemental benefits and if members incur out-of-pocket costs with their supplemental benefits. Without this data, researchers can't answer what share of enrollees use their supplemental benefits, how much members spend out of pocket for supplemental benefits, and if these benefits are working to achieve better health outcomes.
- CMS does not require Medicare Advantage plans to report prior authorizations by type of service. Without more granular data, researchers can't determine which services have the highest rates of denial and if prior authorization rates vary across insurers and plans.
- Insurers are also not required to report the reasons for prior authorization denials to CMS. This leaves unanswered questions, including what is the most common reason for denials and if rates of denials vary across demographics.
- Medicare Advantage plans do not report complete data on denied claims for services already provided. Without this data, researchers cannot determine how often payers deny claims for Medicare-covered services and reasons why these claims are denied.
- CMS does not publish the names of employers or unions that receive Medicare funds to provide Medicare Advantage plans to retired employees. Without more data, researchers can't tell which industries use Medicare Advantage most often and how rebates vary across employers.