Medicare HMO plans see shrinking premiums
By HME News Staff
Updated Wed March 31, 2004
WASHINGTON - About 3.7 million of 4.6 million enrollees in Medicare Advantage plans, formerly known as Medicare+ Choice, will see decreased premiums and improved benefits offered by their health plan because of increases in federal payment rates, according to a review by CMS.
For example, a plan in New York lowered its monthly premium to $22 - down from $140. A plan in Arizona reduced its beneficiary co-payments for certain services, including primary care physician visits, which dropped to $5 from $15, CMS reported.
The average premium paid by enrollees across all plans will go down about $11 (from $42.40 to $31.44). Also, the amended proposals show that enrollees in many health plans will see an increase in drug coverage. The percentage of enrollees that now have any type of drug coverage is up from 78% to 80%.
The increased payments were included in the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act (MMA).
The new benefits and premium reductions are included in the amended adjusted community rate proposals submitted by 146 Medicare Advantage plans for the 4.6 million beneficiaries that have chosen to enroll in those plans. Increased payments to Medicare Advantage, formerly known as Medicare+Choice, will take effect March 1.
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