2010 Medicare Advantage Payments

The Obama administration projected in April 2009 that it would pay Medicare Advantage plans in 2010 on a level that assumes dramatic decreases in physician payments in fee-for-service Medicare. Both the President and the Congress's budgets, however assume what every expert assumes: there will be a rescission of the scheduled doctor payment cuts before they are implemented in January 2010. In addition, a drafting error in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2007 inadvertently removed the two percent minimum update for Medicare Advantage county rates.

Our position:

Universal American supports legislation to:
• Reinstate the two percent minimum update;
• Require the Administration to reissue 2010 MA rates to account for the 2 percent minimum update and the physician payment fix; and,
• Allow MA plans to modify their bids to improve benefits for enrollees in 2010 based on these corrections.

View the pending healthcare reform legislation.