In an article for Health Affairs Forefront, Urban researchers Jason Levitis and Claire O’Brien and Sabrina Corlette of Georgetown University explain that some effects of the upcoming reductions are locked in already, but quick action can prevent additional harms.
Urban researchers analyzed trends in insurer concentration and its relation to MA payments and plan characteristics, finding that when there are more insurers in the mix, people on MA plans see slightly lower costs and better coverage.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) relies on advice from physician and specialty groups, rather than on empirical data, to set and revise Medicare fees, leading to conflicts of interest and bias toward higher payment for procedures.
Hospitals, physicians, and other providers will lose more than $32 billion in revenue, and uncompensated care will increase by $8 billion in 2026 if enhanced PTCs expire. States that haven’t expanded Medicaid will be affected most.
On August 22, a federal district court judge in Maryland stayed the implementation of several provisions in CMS’s Marketplace Integrity final rule. Urban researchers analyze the ruling and the effects for states.
The Urban Institute’s Health Equity Community Advisory Board and researchers share their insights on how they effectively brought together Medicaid participants and family members to improve their research, advance equity, and inform policy.
