Large Health Insurers Plan to Make Cuts to Their Medicare Advantage Programs

Facing anticipated reductions in funding and regulatory changes under the health care reform law, several of the nation's largest health insurers have indicated plans to scale back their Medicare Advantage programs.

Beginning in 2014, insurers' Medicare Advantage plans will be held to a minimum medical-loss ratio of 85% under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The reform law also calls for a $156 billion reduction in Medicare Advantage payments by 2022.

Those cuts, coupled with the 2% overall reduction in Medicare spending under the Budget Control Act of 2011 and potential further cuts resulting from ongoing budget negotiations in Congress, prompted senior executives at several leading health insurers to outline planned withdrawals from certain Medicare Advantage markets and narrowed Medicare benefit plan offerings during recent calls with securities analysts.

Read the full story here: http://bit.ly/14VoXwo

Source: Business Insurance