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Mitchell Clark

Director of Digital Strategy & Communications

Kaiser Family Foundation Releases Update on 2016 Medicare Advantage Market

The Kaiser Family Foundation recently released an update on the Medicare Advantage (MA) plan market in 2016. According to the report, enrollment in MA plans continues to increase despite concerns that adjustments in payments to MA plans enacted by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would stifle enrollment. These payment adjustments were put in place to reduce overpayments to MA plans and align costs with Traditional Medicare. As of 2016, payment reductions are fully implemented in 78 percent of counties, which accounts for 70 percent of people with Medicare and 68 percent of people with MA plans.

Consumers, Providers, and Health Plans Unite in Support for Part B Prescription Drug Payment Model

As the comment period closes on a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposal to test new payment strategies for Medicare Part B prescription drugs, 25 organizations representing people with Medicare, health plans, and health care professionals are voicing their strong support for the model. The proposal presents an opportunity to improve health care quality and value for people with Medicare and also support providers in delivering the right care at the right time.

President Signs Reauthorization of Older Americans Act

This week, President Obama signed into law the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act (OAA), which expired in 2011. The OAA was originally signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson in July 1965, and for more than 50 years, it has provided the nation with programs that allow millions of older Americans to continue living and thriving in the communities of their choice for as long as possible.

Diabetes Prevention Program Showing Positive Results

Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that the expansion of the Diabetes Prevention Program, led by the Innovation Center, is improving the quality of patient care without limiting services and will reduce net spending in the Medicare program. “This program has been shown to reduce health care costs and help prevent diabetes, and is one that Medicare, employers, and private insurers can use to help 86 million Americans live healthier,” said HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell. “The Affordable Care Act (ACA) gave Medicare the tools to support this groundbreaking effort and to expand this program more broadly.”

Interactive Tool Shows Geographic Disparities in Chronic Diseases Among People with Medicare

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released an interactive map to help pinpoint disparities in health outcomes, utilization of health services, and health care spending by race and ethnicity based on geographic locations. Specifically, the tool shows disparities in chronic diseases among Medicare beneficiaries, spotlighting differences according to geography, age, sex, and race and ethnicity.

Kaiser Family Foundation Releases Profile of Medicare Beneficiaries by Race and Ethnicity

According to a new report by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) highlighting the racial and ethnic backgrounds of people with Medicare, one-fifth of older Americans ages 65 and older are people of color, including 9 percent who identify as black, 7 percent as Hispanic, and 4 percent as Asian. Medicare plays a vital role in providing health coverage for the nation’s older and disabled populations.