{
  "id": "RL32618",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "RL32618",
  "active": false,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
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      "id": 306051,
      "date": "2005-06-20",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-07T19:40:58.560029",
      "title": "Medicare Advantage Payments",
      "summary": "Medicare has a long-standing history of offering its beneficiaries managed care coverage through\nprivate plans as an alternative to the traditional fee-for-service (FFS) program, in which a payment\nis made for each Medicare-covered service provided to a beneficiary. Beginning in the 1970s,\nprivate health plans were allowed to contract with Medicare on a cost-reimbursement basis. In 1982,\nMedicare\u2019s risk contract program was created, allowing private entities, mostly health\nmaintenance\norganizations (HMOs), to contract with Medicare. Then, in 1997, Congress passed the Balanced\nBudget Act of 1997 (BBA,  P.L. 105-33 ), replacing the risk contract program with the\nMedicare+Choice (M+C) program. Most recently, Congress passed the Medicare Prescription Drug,\nImprovement and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA,  P.L.108-173 ) which included provisions to\ncreate the Medicare Advantage (MA) program offering a variety of managed care options for\nMedicare beneficiaries. The MA program replaces the M+C program.\n \n The newly created MA program offers a new payment structure and provides more options than\nits predecessor, the M+C program. In addition to the immediate payment increases to plans,\nbeginning in 2006, the MA program will change the payment structure and introduce regional plans\nthat operate like Preferred Provider Organizations -- a popular option in the private health insurance\nmarket. The MA program provides financial incentives for plans to participate in this new regional\noption. Additionally, in 2006, beneficiaries will have access to a Medicare Part D prescription drug\nplan whether they are in fee-for-service Medicare or enrolled in Medicare managed care. Finally,\nbeginning in 2010, for a six-year period, a limited number of geographic areas will be selected to\nexamine enhanced competition among local MA plans and competition between private plans and\nFFS Medicare.\n \n This report focuses on MA payments. For a discussion on the effect of the MMA on Medicare\nmanaged care, see  CRS Report RS21761 ,  Medicare Advantage: What Does It Mean for Private\nPlans Currently Serving Medicare Beneficiaries?  This report will be updated as necessary to\nreflect\nsignificant changes to the program.",
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    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc808592/",
      "id": "RL32618_2004Sep29",
      "date": "2004-09-29",
      "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26",
      "title": "Medicare Advantage Payments",
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