Final Rules on Medicare Advantage Prior Authorization Offer Improvements, but More Change is Needed
Prior authorization is one of the processes Medicare Advantage and other private insurance companies use to manage health care utilization
People who choose Medicare Advantage (MA) face additional hurdles during the initial enrollment and annual plan selection processes. The MA plan choice landscape is cluttered, complicated, and confusing. Other MA features, like prior authorization, narrow provider networks, and predatory plan marketing, can worsen decision-making and access problems. It is also expensive. MA costs more, both overall and per enrollee, than Original Medicare. This drives up spending for the program, beneficiaries, and taxpayers; though little is known about how plans are using these dollars, or about overall plan quality. As MA enrollment grows, addressing its financing flaws and programmatic pitfalls becomes ever-more important. We support comprehensive reforms to ensure all beneficiaries can rely on their earned Medicare coverage.
Prior authorization is one of the processes Medicare Advantage and other private insurance companies use to manage health care utilization
It is evident Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollment and costs are growing, that access issues abound, and that transparency is long overdue. To ensure MA works well for those it is supposed to serve, the Medicare Rights Center urges the immediate and thorough collection and publication of additional data on (I) Equity, (II) Provider Directories and Networks, (III) Marketing, (IV) Utilization Management and Appeals, (V) Supplemental Benefits, (VI) Dually Eligible Individuals and D-SNPs, and (VII) Favorable Selection and Risk Adjustment. This information should be granular, regularly reported, and used to guide MA and program-wide improvements. CMS must finally hold plans accountable for the public dollars they use and the promises they make.
This week, Medicare Rights joined 47 organizations representing people with Medicare, families, advocates, and providers in a letter thanking the
The Medicare Rights Center joined 47 organizations representing people with Medicare, families, advocates, and providers in a letter thanking the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the improvements in the 2025 Medicare Advantage rate announcement and urging additional reforms to further improve plan accountability and payment accuracy.
Late last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized a rule for Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part
Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the 2025 payment rates for Medicare Advantage (MA) and
Through an annual document known as the Advance Notice (AN), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposes changes to Medicare
The Medicare Rights Center welcomes CMS’s efforts to refine Medicare Advantage payment methodology and supports further action to improve costs and the beneficiary experience, program wide.
A recent survey from the Commonwealth Fund asked people with Original Medicare (OM) and Medicare Advantage (MA) about their experiences
Last week, the Medicare Rights Center submitted comments on a proposed rule that would increase awareness of and access to
Prior authorization is one of the processes Medicare Advantage and other private insurance companies use to manage health care utilization
It is evident Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollment and costs are growing, that access issues abound, and that transparency is long overdue. To ensure MA works well for those it is supposed to serve, the Medicare Rights Center urges the immediate and thorough collection and publication of additional data on (I) Equity, (II) Provider Directories and Networks, (III) Marketing, (IV) Utilization Management and Appeals, (V) Supplemental Benefits, (VI) Dually Eligible Individuals and D-SNPs, and (VII) Favorable Selection and Risk Adjustment. This information should be granular, regularly reported, and used to guide MA and program-wide improvements. CMS must finally hold plans accountable for the public dollars they use and the promises they make.
This week, Medicare Rights joined 47 organizations representing people with Medicare, families, advocates, and providers in a letter thanking the
The Medicare Rights Center joined 47 organizations representing people with Medicare, families, advocates, and providers in a letter thanking the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the improvements in the 2025 Medicare Advantage rate announcement and urging additional reforms to further improve plan accountability and payment accuracy.
Late last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized a rule for Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part
Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the 2025 payment rates for Medicare Advantage (MA) and
Through an annual document known as the Advance Notice (AN), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposes changes to Medicare
The Medicare Rights Center welcomes CMS’s efforts to refine Medicare Advantage payment methodology and supports further action to improve costs and the beneficiary experience, program wide.
A recent survey from the Commonwealth Fund asked people with Original Medicare (OM) and Medicare Advantage (MA) about their experiences
Last week, the Medicare Rights Center submitted comments on a proposed rule that would increase awareness of and access to