A new Medicare Advantage brand is launching, and insurers are shaking up longstanding commission structures in the program.
Here are seven Medicare Advantage updates Becker’s has reported since June 24:
- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana lost its legal challenge against CMS over how its 2025 Medicare Advantage star ratings were calculated.
- Tools that allow providers to see prescription cost estimates at the time of prescribing did not have any effect on costs for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries, a study published July 3 in JAMA Network Open found.
- Health Care Service Corporation launched its national HealthSpring brand following the company’s acquisition of Cigna’s Medicare business
- Medicare Advantage insurers are eliminating commission payments for some of their plans, a move that has drawn criticism from broker associations. Blue Shield of California is the latest payer to change its commissions structure.
- Federal lawmakers have introduced a handful of bills in 2025 aimed at speeding up prior authorization and cracking down on upcoding in Medicare Advantage, though none of the introduced bills have been heard in committee. Here are five proposals to know.
- Research published in 2025 has highlighted differences in hospital stay lengths and prices paid to hospitals between Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare. Here are eight studies to know.
- Medicare Advantage enrollees experience longer hospital stays before being discharged to post-acute care settings compared to individuals enrolled in traditional Medicare, according to a June 2025 analysis by NORC at the University of Chicago.
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