AMGA Voices Support for Expanding MA Benefits to Address Patients’ Social Needs
Eager to Work with CMS to Expand Access to Benefit

Alexandria, VA – AMGA supports the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS’) decision to provide Medicare Advantage (MA) plans with the flexibility to develop innovative benefits packages to best meet the needs of patients with chronic diseases. In the final policies for the 2020 plan year, MA plans now may offer expanded items and services, including structural improvements to patients’ homes, as part of a plan to treat chronic illnesses or conditions.

“AMGA members increasingly are looking to partner with Medicare Advantage plans, and the flexibility provided in the benefit design is a driving factor,” said AMGA President and CEO Jerry Penso, M.D., M.B.A. “By looking to address all of a patient’s needs, including social ones, Medicare Advantage provides a financial model that aligns with the way our members deliver coordinated, team-based care that supports the whole patient.”

Authorized as part of the AMGA-endorsed Creating High-Quality Results and Outcomes Necessary to Improve Chronic (CHRONIC) Care Act of 2017, MA plans may broaden the type of supplemental benefits that are available to Medicare beneficiaries with chronic illness. In written comments on the draft policies, AMGA recommended that CMS provide increased flexibility in how chronic illness is defined for the purposes of this benefit expansion. While disappointed that CMS initially is limiting the availability of these special supplemental benefits to beneficiaries who have a set list of conditions, CMS did reiterate its intention to revisit and expand the list with input from the stakeholder community. AMGA believes that as many patients as possible should benefit from these new offerings and is eager to work with CMS to evaluate and update the list of qualifying conditions.

AMGA will be closely reviewing the other details of the final 2020 Medicare Advantage and Part D policies.

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About AMGA
AMGA is a trade association leading the transformation of health care in America. Representing multispecialty medical groups and integrated systems of care, we advocate, educate, innovate, and empower our members to deliver the next level of high performance health. AMGA is the national voice promoting awareness of our members’ recognized excellence in the delivery of coordinated, high quality, high-value care. More than 175,000 physicians practice in our member organizations, delivering care to one in three Americans.

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Media Contact:

Sharon Grace
Chief Communications Officer
703.838.0033 ext. 393
sgrace@amga.org
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