The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has begun collecting more information on Medicare Advantage plans and cost-sharing policies in response to a report issued last Thursday by the Government Accountability Office.
The report suggested that, in certain instances, enrollees in private Medicare Advantage plans paid more for services, including nursing home care, than those in the traditional Medicare program. CMS reportedly criticized the GAO report for not focusing on the positive aspects of Medicare Advantage plans.
Democrats and Republicans have different interpretations of the report. Democrats are calling for reduced spending on MA plans and Republicans are claiming that the report does not give an accurate portrayal of actual benefits. House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Chair Pete Stark (D-CA) hopes the new CMS data will provide better information about MA plans, according to the CongressDaily news report.
