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Five Star Rating System for Medicare Advantage Plans
“Medicare Advantage” (MA) are healthcare plans offered by private carriers which conform to established Government standards as a replacement for “original Medicare.” Since there are many private insurance companies which offer MA plans, it can be challenging for those considering their healthcare options to pick from the array of providers and plans. For this reason, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) maintains a five-start rating system for MA provider plans to help consumers choose. And interestingly, study has shown that plans with higher star ratings facilitate better patient outcomes. In this Health Affairs article by Soleil Shah and Eric Sun, the authors explain how the five-star rating system works, and offer several suggestions for improvement. Click here to read more.