This article talks about a $6.7 billion infusion into Medicare Advantage plans that received average scores in a national health care plan rating system designed to identify quality health care plans, which would receive bonuses for their quality. The Obama administration states that they will now be giving quality bonuses to Medicare Advantage to promote raising quality and reducing costs. Correct me if I’m wrong but if you wanted to encourage low and average rated health care plans to improve quality to that of 4 and 5 star rated plans, wouldn’t you only give quality bonuses to the 4 and 5 star plans? I also have a hard time believing that this was not part of a larger political agenda designed to improve older American’s perspective of the health care plan. That’s politics for you…
And yes, the bonus money does come from the Medicare Trust Fund. Government does an excellent job at cutting costs, doesn’t it? I’m sure this money could not have been spend more wisely in other medical or non-medical programs.
Perhaps the administration wants to get Medicare away from a fee-for-service model, in which there are few incentives for cost controls. M Advantage is a managed care program. I need to learn more about why it is underperforming.
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