Medicare Advantage Higher Spending Relative To Medicare Fee For Service May Not Ensure Lower Out Of Pocket Costs For Beneficiaries PDF Download

In 2006, the fed. govt. spent $59 billion on Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, an alternative to the original Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) program. Although health plans were originally envisioned as a source of Medicare savings, such plans have generally increased program spending. Payments to MA plans have been estimated to be 12% greater than what Medicare would have spent in 2006 had MA beneficiaries been enrolled in Medicare FFS. This report examines for 2007: (1) MA plan¿s projected rebate allocations; (2) additional benefits MA plans commonly covered & their costs; (3) MA plans¿ projected cost sharing; & (4) MA plans¿ allocation of projected revenues and expenses. Tables and graphs.