toward MA plans by the federal government itself, which should remain neutral with respect to enrollees’ options.
Medicare Advantage plans offer limited networks of participating providers with whom they’ve negotiated lower rates. Many MA plans require pre-approval for procedures that traditional Medicare doesn’t. And Medicare Advantage insurers often deny claims that traditional Medicare would have covered. All of this leaves seniors vulnerable to high out-of-pocket costs – in some cases, thousands of dollars per year—which many living on fixed incomes simply can’t afford.
The GAO found that sicker beneficiaries are likelier to disenroll from MA, “a sign that the quality of plans with high turnover may be poor.” But if patients want to switch from MA to traditional Medicare, they may not be able to obtain supplementaryWith Medicare Advantage’s questionable track record, it would behoove CMS to be careful in how it sets parameters for any initiative that changes the way traditional Medicare operates.
The free market is the most efficient method to organize human activity towards short term productive goals!