Medicare Advantage in the headlines: 9 recent updates

Several new studies uncovered differences between Medicare Advantage and fee-for-service, and CMS is calling on Medicare Advantage organizations to extend advanced funding to providers affected by the Change Healthcare outage. 

Here are nine Medicare Advantage updates Becker's has reported since Feb. 29. 

1. Medicare Advantage beneficiaries received less at-home care than their counterparts in fee-for-service Medicare, a study published in JAMA Health Forum found. 
   
   
2. Medicare Advantage beneficiaries in a few states could see increased supplemental benefits or reduced cost sharing in 2025, including over $400 in increased benefits annually in Delaware and Wyoming, according to estimates from Berkeley Research Group. 
   
   
3. Selective contracting with primary care physicians may be one factor behind lower per-patient expenses in Medicare Advantage, a study published in the March edition of Health Affairs found. 
   
   
4. Clover Health named Clay Thornton CFO of its Medicare Advantage division. Mr. Thornton was previously an executive with Humana. 
   
   
5. Enrollment in Medicare Advantage startup plans grew 18% from 2023 to 2024. Here are the five startups with the largest growth rates in 2024. 
   
   
6. Standalone prescription drug plans exclude more drugs from their formularies than Medicare Advantage plans, a study published in the March edition of Health Affairs found. 
   
   
7. Nationwide, half of Medicare-eligible beneficiaries are now enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans. Here are the 26 states where Medicare Advantage market penetration exceeds 50%.
   
   
8. CMS is asking Medicare Advantage organizations to remove or relax prior authorizations and extend advanced funding to affected providers in the wake of the cybersecurity attack disabling Change Healthcare. 
   
   
9. Four Elevance Health Medicare Advantage contracts will have higher 2024 star ratings because CMS updated the original ratings announced in October. Elevance said that as a result, it estimates it will have approximately 49% of its Medicare Advantage members enrolled in plans rated at least four stars for 2024.