“Venture-Funded Medicare Advantage Plans Launch into 2019 Market,” by Thomas Beaton, Health Payer Intelligence

“Several Medicare Advantage (MA) plans entering the market for the 2019 plan year are backed by millions in venture capital funding and are planning to compete with established payers by promoting new health plan solutions. The recent uptick in Medicare Advantage competition is not surprising as many payers have experienced billion-dollar profits, high enrollment totals, and health plan expansion opportunities from a booming MA business. Increased participation in the MA market is likely to present competitive challenges between payers vying to attract new health plan enrollees.”

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

A venture-capital-funded stampede into Medicare Advantage may end badly when the government removes the punch bowl of generous funding as it always does after luring the private sector into the latest opportunity.