Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
KHN Sues To Get Medicare Advantage Audits Released
Kaiser Health News: KHN Files Lawsuit To Force Feds To Disclose Medicare Advantage Audits
Kaiser Health News is suing the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to release dozens of audits that the agency says reveal hundreds of millions of dollars in overcharges by Medicare Advantage health plans. The suit, filed late Thursday in U.S. District Court in San Francisco under the Freedom of Information Act, seeks copies of 90 government audits of Medicare Advantage health plans conducted for 2011, 2012 and 2013 but never made public. CMS officials have said they expect to collect $650 million in overpayments from the audits. Although the agency has disclosed the names of the health plans under scrutiny, it has not released any other details. (Schulte, 9/27)
Miami Herald: Premiums On Medicare Advantage Plans Go Down In Florida
Florida residents enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans will continue to pay little to no monthly premiums next year as more people flock to the program known locally for its competitive market, with providers offering “white-glove” services including such perks as Cuban coffee and bingo. Medicare Advantage is the private component of the public program in which the federal government allocates a certain amount of funding per person per month to private insurance providers running the plans. (Conarck, 9/26)
