Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Medicare Patients To Get Access To Amazon RxPass' $5-A-Month Plan
The Hill: Amazon Pharmacy Expands RxPass Subscriptions To Medicare Enrollees
Amazon Pharmacy will expand its subscription service to enrollees of Medicare insurance plans, the company announced Tuesday. The expansion will be available to more than 50 million Medicare beneficiaries, who will have access to RxPass, Amazon Pharmacy’s subscription prescription service, the company said. (Nazzaro, 6/18)
CNET: Amazon's RxPass: How To Use The Online Pharmacy Perk
If you're interested in RxPass as an option to potentially save money on prescription medications, here's what to know. (Aguilar and Rendall, 6/18)
Modern Healthcare: Medicare Star Rating Changes Could Cut $19.5B In Bonuses
Medicare Advantage insurers that have earned high quality scores in the past stand to lose up to $19.5 billion over 10 years in bonus payments under a policy proposal on the books at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. CMS first floated this change two years ago and has not issued a regulation to carry it out. But as the agency reacts to court rulings that spurred it to roll back another methodological change to the Medicare Advantage Star Ratings program, health insurance industry experts think the time may be ripe for CMS to revisit its plans. (Tepper, 6/19)
Modern Healthcare: Medicare Advantage Pay To Blame For Dropped Contracts: Scripps
Last year, Scripps Health declared it would pull two medical practices from Medicare Advantage networks, risking losing patients in exchange for ridding itself of insurers tying it up in red tape and paying less than it considered adequate. So far, so good, according to Scripps Health President and CEO Chris Van Gorder. “We don't regret making the decision, that's for sure,” he said. (Berryman, 6/18)
