CMS seeks increased transparency for MA plans
By HME News Staff
Updated 10:18 AM CST, Mon January 29, 2024
WASHINGTON – CMS has released a request for information (RFI) to solicit feedback from the public on how best to enhance Medicare Advantage data capabilities and increase public transparency.
The agency says transparency is especially important now that MA plans have grown to more than 50% of Medicare enrollment, and the government is expected to pay these plans more than $7 trillion over the next decade.
“Americans with Medicare who have managed care plans called Medicare Advantage should not feel like their health care is a black box,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “The lack of transparency in Medicare Advantage managed care plans deprives patients of important information that helps them make informed decisions. It deprives researchers and doctors of critical data to evaluate problems and trends in patient care. Transparency is key to the Biden-Harris Administration’s effort to increase competitiveness and ensure that Medicare dollars are spent on first-rate health care.”
The RFI builds on CMS’s existing efforts to improve transparency for MA plans. The agency, for example, recently finalized requirements for these plans to publicly report data on prior authorization denials and approvals and proposed requirements for them to publicly post annual health equity analysis of prior authorization policies and procedures.
The MA Data RFI can be accessed on the Federal Register’s webpage at https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2024-01832/request-for-information-medicare-advantage-data. Comments are due on May 29, 2024.
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