“Medicare Advantage’s cost to taxpayers has soared in recent years, research finds”

“Medicare Advantage’s cost to taxpayers has soared in recent years, research finds,” by Fred Schulte, NPR

 

Quote:

“Switching seniors to Medicare Advantage plans has cost taxpayers tens of billions of dollars more than keeping them in original Medicare, a cost that has exploded since 2018 and is likely to rise even higher, new research has found. … Medicare Advantage, a fast-growing alternative to original Medicare, is run primarily by major insurance companies. The health plans have enrolled nearly 27 million members, or about 45% of people eligible for Medicare, according to AHIP, an industry trade group formerly known as America’s Health Insurance Plans. … The payment issue has been getting a closer look as some Democrats in Congress search for ways to finance the Biden administration’s social spending agenda.”

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

It might make sense to study why so many people abandon traditional Medicare before, or in addition to, lamenting the extra cost of their preferred alternative.