HHS gives Medicare Advantage plans a $6.7 billion infusion
HHS gives Medicare Advantage plans a $6.7 billion infusion
The Affordable Care Act would have cut Medicare Advantage plans by $145 billion over 10 years because of previous overpayments. Medicare Advantage, also known as Medicare Part C, is a popular private insurance program, generally covering vision, dental, hearing and prescriptions along with traditional hospital and medical coverage. About one-fourth of Medicare beneficiaries are signed up in Medicare Advantage plans.
Sen. Orin Hatch (R-UT) and Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI) wrote, in a letter to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, that the bonuses "may represent a thinly veiled use of taxpayer dollars for political purposes," according to the AP. CMS officials say the funds are tied strictly to quality improvement, not politics.
