Better Medicare Alliance applauds Medicare Advantage changes
By HME News Staff
Updated 10:04 AM CST, Thu February 3, 2022
Washington, D.C. – CMS’s 2023 Medicare Advantage Advance Notice will “ensure stability” for beneficiaries, says Better Medicare Alliance, a research and advocacy organization supporting Medicare Advantage. The notice, which is open for comment for 30 days, details CMS’s plans to change the Medicare Advantage and Part D Star Ratings to take into account how well each plan advances health equity and how often they are screening for common health-related social needs, such as food insecurity, housing insecurity and transportation problems. “As we continue to review the Advance Notice in further detail, we appreciate that CMS has offered a thoughtful proposal that will help ensure stability for the millions of diverse seniors and individuals with disabilities who count on Medicare Advantage,” said Mary Beth Donahue, president and CEO of the Better Medicare Alliance. “The proposal additionally furthers our shared goal of improving health equity, recognizing progress made and more needs to be done. Medicare Advantage has proven its worth for seniors and taxpayers; providing lower costs, meaningful benefits that address social determinants of health, better outcomes and greater efficiencies for the Medicare dollar. A stable rate for 2023 ensures this work can continue.” CMS’s Advance Notice follows a recent Congressional letter in which a record-setting 346 bipartisan Members of Congress declared support for Medicare Advantage and urged the agency “to provide a stable rate and policy environment” for the program in 2023.
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