Insights

Medicare Advantage (MA) plans are able to offer additional benefits over the benefits all Medicare beneficiaries receive – called supplemental benefits. These supplemental benefits most typically take the form of vision, dental, hearing, and medical transportation services, but the types of benefits offered are evolving rapidly to include things like in-home support services or personal care, food, and help paying utility bills. Improving data available on these supplemental benefits in MA is clearly on the minds of officials at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Few drugs have triggered as much controversy and debate as those for Alzheimer’s Disease. So, it should come as no surprise that last week’s update from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on its coverage for these treatments would trigger a wide range of responses. Some outlets reported that CMS was broadening its coverage, even as other groups stated that the agency was limiting access. Others argued that the update heralded no change at all.

On December 14, 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a proposed rule containing a number of significant policy and technical changes to the Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D programs for 2024.

Long term care operators face a daunting array of challenges as the U.S. emerges from the pandemic. The workforce shortage has evolved from a near-term disruption to “getting back to normal” to a long-term existential crisis for many providers. As ATI’s work with leading senior care organizations across the country highlights, the right path forward depends on market conditions and the organization’s mission and capabilities.

Healthcare providers are adapting in response to technologies enabling remote work, staffing shortages, patient preferences, and the competitive landscape of inpatient care.

Future Medicare Advantage policy must consider more deliberate opportunities to support person-centeredness, to recognize the outsized role that family caregivers play, and to integrate with Medicaid to promote equitable access and health outcomes.