Medicare Advantage plans face tiny pay raise from Trump admin| STAT

Bob Herman covers medical health insurance, authorities packages, hospitals, physicians, and different suppliers — reporting on how cash influences these companies and shapes what all of us pay for care. He’s additionally the writer of the Well being Care Inc. publication. You’ll be able to attain Bob on Sign at bobjherman.09.

The Trump administration plans to extend funds to subsequent yr’s Medicare Benefit plans by lower than 0.1% on common — far beneath what the business had anticipated.

A number of Wall Avenue analysts anticipated pay will increase of 4%-6%, however a vital measure of Medicare spending got here in beneath consensus estimates. The inventory costs of the nation’s largest Medicare Benefit insurers — UnitedHealth Group, Humana, and CVS Well being — all fell by greater than 9% in after-hours buying and selling.

STAT Plus: Medicare Benefit plans to realize $13 billion underneath Trump modifications to star scores

Trump’s Facilities for Medicare and Medicaid Providers, led by Mehmet Oz, additionally proposed to limit additional how insurers can code the sicknesses of their Medicare Benefit enrollees. The regulation doubtless will result in blowback from the medical health insurance business, which has criticized current modifications to Medicare Benefit and argued their revenue margins have taken hits.