“Few Medicare Advantage plans cover social needs for chronically ill patients”

Few Medicare Advantage plans cover social needs for chronically ill patients,” by Lisa Rappaport, Managed Health Care

 

Quote:

“Most Medicare Advantage plans are not offering chronically ill enrollees supplemental benefits to address social needs that were added to the government health program in 2018 in an effort to improve health outcomes and achieve cost savings, a U.S. study suggests. … In 2020, 139 of 3,052 plans (4.6%) offered benefits for social needs under the CHRONIC Care Act. The most commonly offered benefit was pest control, provided by 2.2% of plans, followed by produce at 2.1%, and meal delivery at 1.8%.”

LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform):

Remember when this was supposed to be a big deal? We were dubious. Now we’re right.