Taxpayers Spend 22% More Per Patient to Support Medicare Advantage

Medicare Advantage was supposed to find efficiencies, but instead is costing taxpayers an extra $83 billion a year

The Medicare Advantage program enrolls over half of Medicare beneficiaries. However, the $83-billion-per-year overpayment of plans, which amounts to more than 8% of Medicare’s total budget, is unsustainable.
The Medicare Advantage program enrolls over half of Medicare beneficiaries. However, the $83-billion-per-year overpayment of plans, which amounts to more than 8% of Medicare’s total budget, is unsustainable.
Dragos Condrea/Envato
Share
The Medicare Advantage program enrolls over half of Medicare beneficiaries. However, the $83-billion-per-year overpayment of plans, which amounts to more than 8% of Medicare’s total budget, is unsustainable.
The Medicare Advantage program enrolls over half of Medicare beneficiaries. However, the $83-billion-per-year overpayment of plans, which amounts to more than 8% of Medicare’s total budget, is unsustainable.
Dragos Condrea/Envato
Taxpayers Spend 22% More Per Patient to Support Medicare Advantage
Copy

Medicare Advantage – the commercial alternative to traditional Medicare – is drawing down federal health care funds, costing taxpayers an extra 22% per enrollee to the tune of US$83 billion a year.

Medicare Advantage, also known as Part C, was supposed to save the government money. The competition among private insurance companies, and with traditional Medicare, to manage patient care was meant to give insurance companies an incentive to find efficiencies. Instead, the program’s payment rules overpay insurance companies on the taxpayer’s dime.

Read the full article on The Conversation.

Catch Alan Doyle live, Ballet RI on tour and Roomful of Blues celebrating a new album
A new survey shows perceived access drops sharply in Providence, Pawtucket, Woonsocket and Central Falls, underscoring stark disparities across the state
Rhode Island has pulled back its $35M investment, rerouting funds to other projects as the Trump administration freezes offshore wind permitting
A research team at Brown called Breathe Providence is asking people to track what they smell, in an effort to better understand air pollution in Rhode Island
Residents cite screen time, news fatigue and low early interest in the governor’s race
Campaign-funded survey finds Block trailing Dan McKee and Helena Foulkes head-to-head, but gaining ground when voters hear more about his background