Healthcare Central

  • New report reveals major gaps in Medicare access, quality and affordability

    When Medicare open enrollment began (Oct. 15), the Commonwealth Fund reported on how seniors in all states and the District of Columbia could evaluate how well the program performs in four areas: access to care (five indicators), quality of care (13 indicators), health care costs at the individual and system level (five indicators) and population…

  • WSJ analysis shows sickest seniors leaving Medicare Advantage, shifting costs to taxpayers

    A recent analysis of Medicare data showed that the sickest (and most costly) members of Medicare Advantage (MA) plans were dropping out of their privately run MA insurance plans for traditional Medicare instead. When reporters for The Wall Street Journal analyzed Medicare data, they found a pattern that was costing taxpayers billions. The pattern showed…

  • Report: Medicare Advantage Enrollment Sees Continued Growth, but at a Slower Rate

    Report: Medicare Advantage Enrollment Sees Continued Growth, but at a Slower Rate Enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans increased by 5.5% this year, or by 1.5 million beneficiaries, according to The Chartis Group. But in 2020, 2021 and 2022, enrollment rose by 1.9 million, 2.2 million and 2.3 million, respectively. Information Courtesy By: Marissa Plescia, #HealthcareNews…

  • MA Plans Rejected 2M Prior Authorization Requests in 2021

    MA Plans Rejected 2M Prior Authorization Requests in 2021 There were more than 35 million prior authorization requests submitted to MA plans in 2021, and 2 million were denied, according to KFF. Of those denied, just 11% were appealed. However, most of those appeals led to the denial being overturned. Information Courtesy By: Marissa Plescia,…

  • Au Revoir, Public Health Emergency

    Au Revoir, Public Health Emergency The Host Julie Rovner KHN @jrovner Read Julie’s stories. Julie Rovner is chief Washington correspondent and host of KHN’s weekly health policy news podcast, “What the Health?” A noted expert on health policy issues, Julie is the author of the critically praised reference book “Health Care Politics and Policy A…

  • Report: Wisdo Reduces Loneliness Among Humana MA Members

    Report: Wisdo Reduces Loneliness Among Humana MA Members Wisdo, a social health platform that addresses loneliness and social isolation, teamed up with Humana to serve some of its Medicare Advantage members. A new study on Humana’s members found that 58% of participants reported lower rates of loneliness after three months of using Wisdo’s app. Information…

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