Against Industry Grain, Commenters Sound Off on ‘Sound’ MA Payment Proposals
Since CMS proposed a modest rate increase and substantial changes to the risk adjustment model used to pay Medicare Advantage plans, insurers and their allies have come out swinging with very public responses. Industry-aligned Better Medicare Alliance (BMA) has been particularly vocal about its opposition to the proposals, spending $4.4 million on an ad campaign urging seniors to call the White House in opposition to potential MA cuts and commissioning a study estimating the detrimental effect the proposed changes could have on premiums and benefits. And while a recent BMA press release highlighted the formal comments submitted by dozens of groups urging CMS to delay the proposed changes, industry experts including scholars, policy experts and former CMS administrators have come out in support of the proposals they say address only some of the problematic elements of MA.