Private Fee-for-Service Medicare Plans 'Raise Questions' About 'Long-Term Direction' Of Program, According To Boston Globe

Main Category: Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP
Article Date: 26 Oct 2007 - 6:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions  

The Boston Globe on Wednesday examined private fee-for-service Medicare Advantage plans in Massachusetts. According to the Globe, while private fee-for-service plans expanded nationwide in 2003, they were not offered in New England until January. The plans may offer more benefits than traditional Medicare and do not limit beneficiaries to certain physicians or require them to obtain a referral to see specialists as in private managed care plans.

However, the plans "raise questions about the long-term direction of Medicare because they cost more than traditional coverage but are not held to higher quality and efficiency standards," the Globe reports. In addition, according to the Globe, CMS officials maintain that the "growing popularity of the private fee-for-service plans has also been marred by aggressive and improper sales tactics." Harvard Pilgrim Health Care this year switched all of its Medicare coverage to private fee-for-service plans, and Tufts Health Plan and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts will begin promoting such plans in 2008 (Krasner, Boston Globe, 10/24).

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation© 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

• Additional
• References
• Citations