Medicare Advantage in the headlines: 10 recent updates

As open enrollment for Medicare approaches, payers are striking partnerships with Instacart and Meijer and expanding to new markets. 

Here are 10 updates on Medicare Advantage Becker's has covered since Sept. 26. 

1. Aetna received $632,070 in overpayments for Medicare Advantage claims from 2015 to 2016, an audit from HHS' Office of Inspector General found. The OIG used the audit sample to estimate the insurer received at least $25.5 million in overpayments during the time period. 
   
   

2. Payers, brokers and other third parties aired more than 10,000 ads for Medicare Advantage plans in Houston from October to December 2022. Here are the 10 markets that saw the most MA ads on television in 2022. 
   
   

3. From Walmart and UnitedHealth Group to Instacart and Alignment Healthcare, these six grocery companies have launched co-branded Medicare Advantage plans with payers in the last two years. 
   
   

4. Bend, Ore.-based St. Charles Health System reached an agreement with PacificSource Health Plans to keep Medicare Advantage patients in-network with the system through 2024. 
   
   

5. Grocery delivery company Instacart is launching a co-branded Medicare Advantage plan next year with Alignment Healthcare in 13 counties across California and Nevada.
   
   

6. As the Medicare open enrollment period approaches, the nation's largest insurers are expanding Medicare Advantage plans to nearly every corner of the country, along with introducing plans built for specific populations. See where eight payers are expanding MA in 2024. 
   
   

7. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and retailer Meijer will offer a co-branded Medicare Advantage plan in 2024. 
   
   

8. The Cigna Group will pay $172.3 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting incorrect Medicare Advantage patient data to CMS to receive higher payments from the agency.
   
   

9. Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D premiums, benefits and plan choices won't be changing much in 2024, according to CMS. The average monthly plan premium for all Medicare Advantage plans, including prescription drug plans, is projected to increase from $17.86 in 2023 to $18.50 in 2024.
   
   

10. Chillicothe, Ohio-based Adena Regional Medical Center is terminating its contract with Anthem BCBS' Medicare Advantage and managed Medicaid plans in Ohio, effective Nov. 2.