“America’s Health Insurance Plans is asking the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services to change the way the agency calculates Medicare Advantage payment rates, ahead of a final notice due out Monday. AHIP said it strongly believes CMS should update its benchmark calculation in the 2019 final notice. These reflect spending for enrollees with only Medicare Part A for care in hospitals and other facilities, enrollees with only Medicare Part B, which covers physician visits and medical supplies and enrollees with both Medicare Parts A and B. This method captures the expenditures of all Medicare beneficiaries, regardless of whether they’re in Part A, B or both. MA plans are required to provide coverage for all services included under both Parts A and B. AHIP said the cost data for beneficiaries who are only in Medicare Part A – for hospitalization – should be excluded from calculating MA payment rates. The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission has also recommended that CMS revise the calculation of benchmarks.” Read the full article.