Nursing homes sponsoring their own Medicare Advantage plans
Long-term care facilities like nursing homes are getting into the insurance business with Medicare Advantage plans they promise will offer greater care coordination.
Kaiser Health News reports these plans, offered by a handful of nursing homes, can involve dedicated nurses or primary care physicians stationed in facilities, including retirement villages, with the aim of reducing hospitalizations.
“It gets them out of hospitalizing people at the drop of the hat,” said long-term care consultant Anne Tumlinson. “If you live in a nursing home or are living in assisted living and they have one of these plans going, they’re going to be investing heavily in 24/7 access to primary care.”
This has created conflicts, however, with patients who feel the integration gives the homes an unfair advantage over Medicare beneficiaries.
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John joined TriMed in 2016, focusing on healthcare policy and regulation. After graduating from Columbia College Chicago, he worked at FM News Chicago and Rivet News Radio, and worked on the state government and politics beat for the Illinois Radio Network. Outside of work, you may find him adding to his never-ending graphic novel collection.