From an HHS report raising concerns over denials of prior authorization requests to a McKinsey & Co. report detailing how payers can improve the onboarding process, here are five stories on Medicare Advantage that Becker's has covered since April 7:
1. A report from the HHS Office of the Inspector General released April 27 found Medicare Advantage Organizations sometimes delayed or denied enrollees' access to services even though the request met Medicare coverage rules.
2. Medicare Advantage members are spending nearly $2,000 less on out-of-pocket costs and premiums annually compared to fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries, according to a new study from the Better Medicare Alliance. The study, released April 19, was conducted by ATI Advisory and is based on 2019 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey data.
3. A survey conducted by the management consulting firm McKinsey & Co. found that a majority of respondents were dissatisfied with their Medicare Advantage onboarding process. The firm released a report April 18 outlining ways payers can improve that process.
4. Enrollment in Medicare Advantage has more than doubled in the past decade and is on pace to cover a majority of Medicare beneficiaries, but the rising popularity has come with warnings about costs and allegations of improper billing practices, Bloomberg reported April 12.
5. Medicare Advantage members are seeing slightly higher deductibles and premiums this year, according to an April 7 report from the online private health insurance marketplace EHealth.