Rural Hospital in the Red Caused by Medicare Advantage

[somarco]

The percentage of America's rural hospitals operating in the red jumped from 43% to 50% in the last 12 months, the biggest leap yet.​

Fifty-five percent of independent rural hospitals are operating in the red, while 42% of health system-affiliated rural hospitals are operating at a loss. Nearly 60% of rural hospitals are now affiliated with a health system.

Meanwhile, Medicare Advantage now accounts for 35% of all Medicare-eligible patients in rural communities. In seven states, Medicare Advantage penetration exceeds 50%.

Half of rural hospitals in the red, pressured by high Medicare Advantage enrollment

The percentage of America's rural hospitals operating in the red jumped from 43% to 50% in the last 12 months, the biggest leap yet.

www.healthcarefinancenews.com

Rural hospitals burn while "Nero" fiddles . . .

 

[GoPokes]

I wish there was a reasonable solution. The medigap risk pools are also smaller bc of the people on mapd, which doesn’t help premiums.

 

[somarco]

@GoPokes Hi OOP results in unpaid hospital bills.

Hospitals have the same problem with folks who have Obamacare plans and have no problem stiffing the hospital for their deductible and other OOP costs.

 

[axeman462]

The only people that believe MAPD is causing rural hospitals to go bankrupt are the ones who don't understand the economics of hospitals.

MAPD is more scarce in rural counties.

MAPD has significantly higher penetration in urban counties.


If MAPD was causing rural hospitals to go bankrupt when they often have less than 20% penetration in the county, then urban county hospitals would be going bankrupt in droves because in many urban counties MAPD has north of 70% penetration.

The article is nothing more than fear porn, and a hit piece on MAPD for political reasons.

But we should ignore that because certain people here have their lively hood depending on delaying the inevitable demise of Original Medicare.

Keep eating your propaganda.

 

[somarco]

A recent Urban Institute report highlights the issue of medical debt but fails to examine two of the chief driving forces of this debt: inadequate enrollment in comprehensive health care coverage and high-deductible health plans that intentionally push more costs onto patients.

As the extent of medical debt shows, both the government and the private market is failing too many patients, leaving too many either uninsured or with subpar plans that expose too many people to bills they cannot afford to pay. While hospital financial assistance is crucial to helping many individuals of limited means access care, it is no substitute for a solution that gets to the root causes of medical debt.

Many of the same concerns apply to high-deductible health plans. These plans are specifically designed to increase patients’ financial exposure through high cost-sharing – the amount the subscriber must pay out-of-pocket. Yet, many individuals enrolled in these plans find they can’t manage the gap between what their insurance pays and what they themselves owe as a result. It’s not a mystery why high-deductible health plans contribute to medical debt.

Hospitals and other providers do not determine how much insured patients owe for their care. Instead, that amount is set by the health plan.

In total, hospitals and health systems of all types provided in 2020 more than $42 billion in uncompensated care, or care for which they received no payment.

High-deductible and skinny health insurance plans drive medical debt | AHA News

Understand the dangers of high-deductible health plans and how to mitigate the risk of medical debt.

www.aha.org

Not just high deductible, but high OOP as well.

Anecdotes are effective sales pitches but can't stand up to actual data.

MEGA health insurance agents thought they were offering a good product that was easy to sell. Their policyholders discovered something different when they actually used the plan for hospital bills and other medical expenses.

 

[axeman462]

A recent Urban Institute report highlights the issue of medical debt but fails to examine two of the chief driving forces of this debt: inadequate enrollment in comprehensive health care coverage and high-deductible health plans that intentionally push more costs onto patients.

As the extent of medical debt shows, both the government and the private market is failing too many patients, leaving too many either uninsured or with subpar plans that expose too many people to bills they cannot afford to pay. While hospital financial assistance is crucial to helping many individuals of limited means access care, it is no substitute for a solution that gets to the root causes of medical debt.

Many of the same concerns apply to high-deductible health plans. These plans are specifically designed to increase patients’ financial exposure through high cost-sharing – the amount the subscriber must pay out-of-pocket. Yet, many individuals enrolled in these plans find they can’t manage the gap between what their insurance pays and what they themselves owe as a result. It’s not a mystery why high-deductible health plans contribute to medical debt.

Hospitals and other providers do not determine how much insured patients owe for their care. Instead, that amount is set by the health plan.

In total, hospitals and health systems of all types provided in 2020 more than $42 billion in uncompensated care, or care for which they received no payment.

High-deductible and skinny health insurance plans drive medical debt | AHA News

Understand the dangers of high-deductible health plans and how to mitigate the risk of medical debt.

www.aha.org

Not just high deductible, but high OOP as well.

Anecdotes are effective sales pitches but can't stand up to actual data.

MEGA health insurance agents thought they were offering a good product that was easy to sell. Their policyholders discovered something different when they actually used the plan for hospital bills and other medical expenses.

There are 2 clear solutions, but nobody will want to admit it, and do it, because it will require some short term pain for long term relief.

 

[selfgen]

The percentage of America's rural hospitals operating in the red jumped from 43% to 50% in the last 12 months, the biggest leap yet.​

Fifty-five percent of independent rural hospitals are operating in the red, while 42% of health system-affiliated rural hospitals are operating at a loss. Nearly 60% of rural hospitals are now affiliated with a health system.

Meanwhile, Medicare Advantage now accounts for 35% of all Medicare-eligible patients in rural communities. In seven states, Medicare Advantage penetration exceeds 50%.

Half of rural hospitals in the red, pressured by high Medicare Advantage enrollment

The percentage of America's rural hospitals operating in the red jumped from 43% to 50% in the last 12 months, the biggest leap yet.

www.healthcarefinancenews.com

Rural hospitals burn while "Nero" fiddles . . .

Hospitals liked bilking Original Medicare out of millions of dollars every year, as did Home Health Care agencies, doctors, etc. Medicare fraud costs the government billions every year. Thats the facts.
So of course they don’t like Medicare Advantage.

 

[somarco]

It appears some of you have a ravenous appetite for fiction and disdain for facts. When confronted with truth you resort to a red herring argument.

 

[rmhaire]

It appears some of you have a ravenous appetite for fiction and disdain for facts. When confronted with truth you resort to a red herring argument.

All comes down to $611 reasons

 

[Chazm]

All comes down to $611 reasons

I make about $550 for a med Supp plus pdp. And then bigger med Supp renewals. So not really.