Ritter Insurance Marketing

Here are a couple of links to resources on the recent meetings of the Senate Finance Committee’s discussion of Health Care Reform:

1. Here is an article written by Medicare Advantage News which gives an overview of the discussions.
2. Here is a 4 page “abridged” paper which comes directly from the Senate Finance Committee.
3. Here is the 41 page “unabridged” version from the Senate Finance Committee.

In addition to looking at Medicare Advantage payments (competitive bids and/or reduction in growth in Capitation rates), Senior Market agents who are selling Medicare Supplement plans should take a look at the Section on “Medicare Beneficiary Contributions” which begins on page 16 (of the PDF file) or page 14 as numbered in the document.  Senate Finance is looking at using Beneficiary Contributions as a policy tool to reduce costs.  Of particular concern is Senate Finance’s assertion that MB’s with First Dollar Medigap coverage tend to be higher utilizers of services (such as Plans C, F or J). 

It’s hard to say where this might lead, if anywhere.  In my “Future of Medicare” seminars last week, I discussed the new plans M and N which are coming in June 2010 under Medigap Modernization.  In particular, I’m advocating the use of Plan N for agents to introduce some cost sharing on behalf of the Medicare Beneficiaries.  This would mitigate some of the Finance Committees concerns, but these plans are not yet available.

I still have some space in my “Future of Medicare” Webex on May 27th, so if you would like to attend to hear my discussion on these topics as it relates to Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement, please visit our Events Calendar and page down to our Webex Seminar on May 27th.  Once this meeting fills up, I’m planning another Webex during the second week of June.  The first week of June, I’ll be doing some live meetings in Virginia on the same topic (again, see Events Calendar).