Senate Democrats at the federal level have released a report highlighting the troubling practices of major Medicare Advantage (MA) insurers, including UnitedHealthcare, Humana and CVS Health. The report, released by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, found that insurers have significantly increased their denial rates for post-acute care services and that post-acute services are denied at significantly higher rates than other types of care.
WSHA has lobbied for changes to the Medicare Advantage system to ensure Washington’s seniors receive necessary care without undue delay or burden. In meetings with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and our congressional delegation, WSHA expressed concerns about the high rates of prior authorization denials and the burden they place on both patients and health care providers.
WSHA’s efforts include lobbying for the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Suzan DelBene, aims to streamline the prior authorization process and ensure timely access to care for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries. Additionally, WSHA recently released an educational resource for community members to help them understand the differences between Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare plans.
If you have questions or would like to share stories about Medicare Advantage from your community, please contact me directly. We will continue to advocate on this issue.
Sincerely,
Jacqueline Barton True
WSHA Vice President, Advocacy and Rural Health
jacquelineb@wsha.org
