New York Times: MAPs’ Prior Authorizations Are Cutting Care to Medicare Beneficiaries
A May 25 article in the New York Times told the story of 85-year-old Marlene Nathanson, a Medicare beneficiary in Minneapolis who had a stroke, but was recovering well thanks to physical, occupational, and speech therapy at Episcopal Homes in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Then, after three weeks at the rehab facility, Nathanson was forced to leave when her Medicare Advantage plan (MAP) required a prior authorization. While MAPs laud prior authorizations as a way to combat unnecessary care and wasted funding, David Lipschutz, associate director at the Center for Medicare Advocacy, also said in the story that prior authorizations are a “cost-containment measure,” a way for insurers to save money by cutting coverage.
The New York Times story goes on to point out that MAPs don’t save Medicare program money, and that prior authorization policies are a “widespread and persistent” problem, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. The story added that appeals are often successful, but not an option that enough beneficiaries try.
Report: Younger Workers Willing to Pay Higher Taxes to Preserve Medicare
A new report from eHealth Inc. said younger employees surveyed were overwhelmingly in favor of sustaining the Medicare program … and they are willing to pay more to support it.
In a May 22 press release, eHealth — an online private health insurance marketplace — said 65% of the Millennials (born 1981-1996) and Generation X members (born 1965-1980) who were surveyed and are familiar with the Medicare program are worried that the federal health insurance plan for seniors won’t be available by the time they qualify for coverage.
But 94% said they are entitled to health-care insurance once they retire, and 84% are willing to pay higher payroll taxes now to ensure Medicare’s viability going forward.
In addition, 78% of Millennials and Generation X members say Medicare is one of their top-three voting priorities, and an equal percentage said earlier generations were “fiscally irresponsible and are leaving them to pay the bill.”
The survey questioned more than 1,000 Americans ranging in age from 28 through 59.
