“Long-Term Care Providers Drive Growth in Special Medicare Advantage Plans,” by Anne Tumlinson and Elizabeth Walsh, Skilled Nursing News

“Health care providers selling Medicare Advantage (MA) products isn’t a new trend, but typically ‘providers’ refers to hospitals, health systems, or physician groups. Few would expect nursing homes and assisted living operators to be able or willing to manage health care risk for some of the highest-cost Medicare beneficiaries. And yet, as these charts illustrate, long-term care providers are largely responsible for driving rapid growth (23%) in the number of MA special needs plans enrolling institutionalized Medicare beneficiaries over the last two years. The number of provider-sponsored I-SNPs doubled from 2016 to 2018, and enrollment has more than doubled. Long-term care providers now lead 21 of the 24 provider-led I-SNPs. Why is this happening? Our team spent the last year traveling around the country talking to long-term care providers who are operating plans and educating facility operators. Here’s what we learned. Many nursing home operators view healthcare risk models as the only viable business path forward.” [Emphasis in the original.]

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

This development bears watching.