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红领巾瓜报 Insights鈥攊ncluding briefs, webinars, and our podcast鈥攇ives you easy access to 红领巾瓜报鈥檚 deep expertise, helping you stay current on the latest healthcare trends and topics. Search for a topic of interest or browse the latest insights below.

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Medicaid Managed Care Enrollment Update: Q4 2024

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Our second In Focus section reviews the most recent Medicaid enrollment trends in capitated risk-based managed care programs in 29 states.[1] 红领巾瓜报 Information Services (红领巾瓜报IS) collected and analyzed monthly Medicaid enrollment data from the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2024.

The data offer a timely overview of trends in Medicaid managed care enrollment and valuable insights into state-level and managed care organization (MCO)-specific enrollment patterns. This information allows state governments, their partners, and other organizations interested in Medicaid to track enrollment shifts. Understanding the underlying drivers of enrollment shifts is critical for shaping future Medicaid policies and adjusting program strategies amid a dynamic healthcare landscape.

Overview of the Data

The 29 states included in our review have released monthly Medicaid managed care enrollment data via a public website or in response to a public records request from 红领巾瓜报 (红领巾瓜报). This report reflects the most recent data posted or obtained. 红领巾瓜报 has made the following observations related to the enrollment data (see Table 1):

  • As of December 2024, across the 29 states tracked in this report, Medicaid managed care enrollment was 61.7 million, down by 3.6 million (-5.5%) year-over-year.
  • Though most states experienced declines in enrollment, six states saw enrollment increases as of December 2024鈥攄ouble the number of states from the previous year.

Figure 1. Year-Over-Year Medicaid Managed Care Enrollment Percent Change in Select States, 2020鈭24

  • Among the 22 expansion states included in this report, net Medicaid managed care enrollment has decreased by 2.1 million (-4%) to 49.5 million members at the end of Q4 2024, compared with the same period in 2023.[2]
  • Among the seven states included in this report that had not expanded Medicaid as of December 2024, net Medicaid managed care enrollment decreased by 1.5 million, or 1 percent, to 12.3 million members at the end of Q4 2024 compared with to the same period in 2023.

Table 1. Monthly MCO Enrollment by State鈥擮ctober through December 2024

Note: In Table 1 above, 鈥+/- m/m鈥 refers to the enrollment change from the previous month. 鈥% y/y鈥 refers to the percentage change in enrollment from the same month in the previous year.

It is important to note the limitations of the data presented. First, not all states report the data at the same time during the month. Some of these figures reflect beginning of the month totals, whereas others reflect an end of the month snapshot. Second, in some cases the data are comprehensive in that they cover all state-sponsored health programs that offer managed care options; in other cases, the data reflect only a subset of the broader managed Medicaid population. This limitation complicates comparison of the data described above with figures reported by publicly traded Medicaid MCOs. Hence, the data in Table 1 should be viewed as a sampling of enrollment trends across these states rather than as a comprehensive comparison, which cannot be established based solely on publicly available monthly enrollment data.

红领巾瓜报IS also compiles a more detailed quarterly Medicaid managed care enrollment report representing nearly 300 health plans in 41 states. The report provides by plan enrollment plus corporate ownership, program inclusion, and for-profit vs. not-for-profit status, with breakout tabs for publicly traded plans. Table 2 shows a sampling of plans and their national market share of Medicaid managed care beneficiaries based on a total of 66.3 million enrollees. These data too should be viewed as a broader representation of enrollment trends rather than as a comprehensive comparison.

Table 2. National Medicaid Managed Care Market Share by Number of Beneficiaries for Sample of Publicly Traded Plans, 2024

What to Watch

Enrollment in Medicaid MCOs has experienced significant fluctuations recently, influenced both by policy changes and economic factors. Since April 2023, Medicaid enrollment has been on a downward trajectory as states complete eligibility redeterminations after the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency. This trend, coupled with financial and political challenges, necessitates strategic planning for stakeholders to navigate the evolving Medicaid landscape effectively.鈥

Potential changes that may affect enrollment and require scenario and readiness planning include:

  • Federal requirement, or a new state option, to implement Medicaid work requirements for at least some categories of enrollees
  • Changes to the federal financial match policy, which may cause some states to make different decisions about their Affordable Care Act expansion program for adults
  • Modifications in requirements and expectations for more efficient eligibility processes to improve the accuracy of determinations and assignment to eligibility categories

Connect with Us

红领巾瓜报 is home to experts who know the Medicaid managed care landscape at the federal and state levels. The 红领巾瓜报IS subscription provides point-in-time and longitudinal Medicaid enrollment data, health plan financials, and additional actionable information about eligibility expansions, demonstration and waiver initiatives, as well as population- and service-specific information. 红领巾瓜报IS also includes a comprehensive public documents library containing Medicaid requests for proposals and responses, model contracts, scoring sheets, and protests.

For detail about the 红领巾瓜报IS enrollment report and subscription service, contact our experts below.

[1] Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin.

[2]聽红领巾瓜报, Inc. Medicaid Managed Care Enrollment Update鈥擰4 2023.听红领巾瓜报 Weekly Roundup. April 17, 2024.

CMS Finalizes 2026 Payment and Policy Updates for Medicare Advantage and Part D

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CMS approves average increase of 5.06 percent for MA plans while deferring major policy changes in MA and Part D programs

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the聽聽on April 7, 2025, finalizing payment updates for calendar year (CY) 2026. This announcement came shortly after the release of the聽on April 4, 2025.听Together, these updates mark the conclusion of CMS鈥檚 annual rulemaking cycle for Medicare Advantage, ahead of the June 2, 2025, deadline for 2026 MA plan bids.

Notably, because of the timing of the draft notices and proposed rule, Trump Administration officials ultimately had more input into policies omitted from the rate notice and final policy rule than on policies that were finalized. For example, the final rule is exclusive of proposals to expand coverage for anti-obesity medications, guardrails for artificial intelligence (AI), and new requirements related to utilization management and prior authorization procedures.

In his confirmation , CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, MD, cited Medicare Advantage prior authorization practices and health risk assessments that lead to upcoding as areas that deserve further consideration and scrutiny, raising the potential for future regulatory shifts and even legislative reform. With the possibility of Medicare, including MA, facing cuts as part of broader budget negotiations in Congress, the rate notice and policy rule offer program stability counterbalancing the political and fiscal pressures that may emerge this year.

CMS has sought to stabilize MA and Part D programs into 2026, and stakeholders can benefit from understanding the impact in markets for 2026 and the signals of potential regulatory changes to come. For more in-depth analysis and insights on the rate notice, look for our policy and actuarial experts鈥 brief due out next week.

The remainder of this In Focus article reviews CMS鈥檚 decisions on major payment and policy proposals in the Rate Announcement and Final Rule and examines key considerations for healthcare stakeholders.

Payment Impact on Medicare Advantage Organizations

In the CY 2026 Rate Announcement, CMS projects that federal payments to MA plans will increase by 5.06 percent from 2025 to 2026, which represents a $25 billion increase in expected payments to MA plans next year. According to CMS, this represents an increase of 2.83 percentage points compared with the CY 2026 Advance Notice that is largely attributable to an increase in the effective growth rate. The increase in the effective growth rate鈥攊ncreasing to 9.04 percent in the Rate Announcement from 5.93 percent in the Advance Notice鈥攊s primarily the result of the inclusion of additional data on Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) expenditures, including payment data through the fourth quarter of 2024.

The Rate Announcement estimates represent the average increase in payments to MA plans and actual payments will vary from plan to plan. Below, Table 1 provides CMS estimates of the impact of finalized payment changes on net MA plan payments.

MA Risk Adjustment Changes

As expected, CMS finalized the last year of the three-year phase-in of the MA risk adjustment model, which requires calculating 100 percent of the risk scores using only the 2024 CMS-HCC (Hierarchical Condition Category) model in 2026. CMS also addressed stakeholder concerns with the planned transition toward a risk adjustment model based on MA encounter data, as previewed in the CMS CY 2026 Advance Notice. CMS pledged to engage stakeholders in this model development process while continuing to evaluate the feasibility, transparency, and timing of a future transition to an encounter-based risk adjustment model.

CMS also finalized the MA coding pattern adjustment factor of 5.9 percent for CY 2026, which is the statutory minimum adjustment factor to account for differences in coding patterns between MA plans and providers under Medicare FFS Parts A and B.

Part D Risk Adjustment

For CY 2026, CMS finalized the revised 2026 RxHCC model with adjustments for maximum fair price drugs. Importantly, CMS also finalized using separate FFS normalization factors for MA-Prescription Drug (MA-PD) plans and Prescription Drug Plans (PDPs), making 2026 the second year CMS will vary normalization for these two markets. The calculation of the factors for CY 2026 is different, however, and will have substantially greater impact than the method used previously. It also will reduce Part D risk scores significantly for MA-PD plans while increasing scores for PDPs.

MA Star Ratings

CMS continues to solicit feedback from stakeholders on ways to simplify and refocus MA Star Ratings measures to focus more on clinical care, outcomes, and patient experience of care measures. Also included in the CY 2026 Rate Announcement are non-substantive measure specification updates and a list of measures included in the Part C and Part D improvement measures and categorical adjustment index for the 2026 Star Ratings.

Separately, in the policy and technical changes rule, CMS finalized new regulatory requirements designed to enhance MA beneficiary protections in an inpatient setting, provisions related to allowable special supplemental benefits for the chronically ill (SSBCI), and the care experience for dually eligible beneficiaries enrolled in MA special needs plans.

Enhancing MA Beneficiary Appeal Rights and Notification Requirements

CMS is finalizing provisions that limit the ability of MA plans to reopen and modify a previously approved inpatient hospital decision on the basis of information gathered after the approval. Under the final rule, MA plans will be able to reopen an approved hospital admission only due to error or fraud. In addition, CMS finalized several provisions to enhance beneficiary appeal rights and new reporting and notice requirements, including:

  • Ensuring that MA appeals rules apply to adverse plan decisions, regardless of whether the decision was made before, during, or after the receipt of such services
  • Codifying existing guidance that requires plans to give a provider notice of a coverage decision
  • Ensuring enrollees have a right to appeal MA plan coverage denials that affect their ongoing source of treatment

Non-Allowable Special Supplemental Benefits for the Chronically Ill

The final rule establishes guardrails for SSBCI benefits by codifying a list of non-allowable examples (e.g., unhealthy food, alcohol, tobacco, life insurance). CMS did not finalize proposals that were designed to improve administration of supplemental benefits and enhance transparency of the availability of such benefits.

Improving Care Experience for Dual Eligibles

CMS finalized new requirements for dual eligible special needs plans (D-SNPS) that are applicable integrated plans (AIPs) as follows:

  • D-SNPs will be required to have integrated member ID cards for their Medicare and Medicaid plans
  • D-SNPs will be required to conduct an integrated health risk assessment for Medicare and Medicaid, rather than separate ones for each program.

These provisions affecting certain D-SNPS plans will be effective for the 2027 plan year.

Provisions Pertaining to the Medicare Part D Inflation Reduction Act

CMS is finalizing proposals to codify existing requirements related to key provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act, including no cost sharing for adult vaccines and capping monthly copayments for insulin at $35. In addition, CMS is codifying existing guidance related to the implementation of the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, which is also part of the Inflation Reduction Act.

Key Proposals CMS Has Yet to Finalize

As noted earlier, CMS finalized a streamlined rule that excluded several regulatory changes identified in the November 2024 proposed rule. In addition to provisions related to coverage of anti-obesity medications, guardrails for AI, and mandatory analysis of the health equity impact of MA plans utilization management practices, the following proposals were not finalized. CMS notes that these proposals might be finalized in future rulemaking.

  • Expanding Medicare Part D Medication Therapy Management (MTM) eligibility criteria
  • Ensuring equitable access to behavioral health services by applying MA cost-sharing limits
  • Enhancing the Medicare Plan Finder to include information on plan provider directories
  • Promoting informed choice by enhancing CMS review of MA marketing and communication materials
  • Enhancing rules on MA plans鈥 use of internal coverage criteria

Key Considerations

The policies finalized in the CY 2026 Rate Announcement are projected to increase average Part C payments to MA plans by 5.06 percent in CY 2026鈥攁 significant uptick from the payment updates originally proposed in the CY 2026 Advance Notice. Nonetheless, the final rate increase will have varying effects across MA plans, with some experiencing larger or smaller impacts in CY 2026. MA plans should assess these outcomes as they prepare their bid submissions for 2026.

According to the CY 2026 Rate Announcement, CMS expects that the 5.06 percent increase will provide continued stability for the MA program and its beneficiaries while ensuring accurate and appropriate payments to Medicare Advantage organizations.

In the CY 2026 MA and Part D Final Rule, CMS adopted a significantly scaled-back final rule, which omitted some of the more far-reaching proposals for MA and Part D that were originally proposed in November 2024. CMS, however, could potentially revisit and finalize some of these proposals in future rulemaking. Moreover, new regulatory requirements that enhance enrollee protections in inpatient care settings and improving the care experience for dual eligibles signal CMS鈥檚 continued interest in improving program oversight and enhancing consumer protections for MA beneficiaries.

Connect With Us

MA stakeholders need to undertake scenario planning and be prepared to adapt to a rapidly evolving federal policy environment. From modeling and impact assessments of specific policy changes to strategy development and implementation, 红领巾瓜报 is home to experts with diverse skill sets. Our team can help stakeholders assess and prepare for potential changes to prior authorization, looking holistically at their organization鈥檚 operations, patient care models, and reimbursement strategies. Our team also provides detailed modeling and assessments to ensure health plans are prepared for changes in risk adjustment and coding policies, supplemental benefits, and other key issues affecting capitation payment, bids, and care delivery models.

For details about the finalized payment and policy rules contact our featured experts below.

What to Watch: Medicare Payment Rules

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Medicare stakeholders are awaiting the imminent release of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) final Medicare Advantage and Part D rate notice and technical updates, as well as a final policy rule that establishes a significantly new direction for Medicare Advantage (MA) stakeholders. These final rules typically are released in April of each year.

In addition, the agency kicks off the annual cycle of payment rules for traditional fee-for-service Medicare, including the first wave of proposed rules that typically are released in April for the forthcoming payment year. These proposed rules for 2026 pertain to the following: Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System for Acute Care Hospitals, the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Payment System, the Home Health Payment System, and the Inpatient Psychiatric Facility Payment System. A second wave of 2026 proposed rules are typically released in July, including the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System.

The MA rules and the first wave of Medicare Part A and Part B rules are highly anticipated regulations and now under review at the Office of Management and Budget. These rules are expected to be released in the coming days and weeks.

Why These Rules Matter

The rules set the rates for MA and reimbursement for a significant number of healthcare providers and facilities that serve Medicare beneficiaries. The rules also contain important information about CMS鈥檚 quality reporting programs and bonus payments and other changes required for Medicare stakeholders to ensure compliance.

What鈥檚 Different About 2025 Proposals

In the first year of a new presidential administration, CMS leaders have a limited window to include their policy priorities in the MA and Part D Final Rate Notice. CMS may, however, decline to finalize some or all of the prior administration鈥檚 proposals. Key issues that 红领巾瓜报 (红领巾瓜报), experts are watching for in the final rules include:

  • Whether CMS chooses to delay or not finalize significant policy changes proposed by the Biden Administration, including new requirements and guardrails around the use of prior authorization
  • Potential finalization of improvements to the Medicare plan finder
  • Direction on oversight of MA plan marketing activities
  • CMS decision and response to the proposal to expand coverage of anti-obesity medications under Medicare Part D and Medicaid

Stakeholders can access 红领巾瓜报鈥檚 review of the contract year (CY) 2026 MA and Part D proposed rule and key considerations聽and our review of the 2026 Advance Notice for the Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D programs.

Similarly, in the first year of a presidential transition, CMS has a narrower opportunity to shape Medicare鈥檚 first set of proposed payment and policy rules. The agency may, however, begin to signal important policy direction on a global level and technical issues that can have an impact on Medicare stakeholders. 红领巾瓜报 experts are watching in particular for requests for information and other signals of CMS鈥檚 Medicare priorities, including reforms in quality reporting, value-based contracting, pricing and contract transparency, among others.

Connect with Us

红领巾瓜报鈥檚 expert consultants provide the advanced policy, tailored analysis, and operational skills you need to navigate today鈥檚 rapidly evolving regulatory landscape and to support implementation of final policies. Don鈥檛 let the uncertainty of future policies derail your strategic plans or burden your teams.

For details about the forthcoming Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare regulations, contact one of our featured experts below.

New Insights on Medicaid Spending: An Analysis of Disaggregated Managed Care Spending

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Medicaid is a federal/state health insurance program that served more than 86 million lower-income people in fiscal year (FY) 2021. The combined federal and state spending for Medicaid totaled $717 billion that year, $420 billion of which was spent on providing care to Medicaid managed care organization (MCO) members, and $297 billion on services provided to fee-for-service enrollees. 

  • While the role of managed care in Medicaid has grown tremendously over the past decade, with MCOs covering nearly three-quarters of Medicaid enrollees, detailed cost information has not been estimated for the people with MCO coverage. These data historically have been available only for fee-for-service (FFS) Medicaid because of limitations on federal data sources.听
  • This lack of data blocks our understanding of the relative magnitude of the cost drivers in the program and contributes to an uninformed debate about policy reforms to control the growth of spending and improve quality of care.听
  • Obtaining and using cost data by provider type for MCOs can help answer questions such as how much funding do MCO enrollees with diabetes, asthma, and/or hypertension consume? Of these patients, how many also have behavioral health conditions? How many MCO enrollees have six or more emergency department (ED) visits during a year and/or multiple inpatient hospital stays, and what does their resource consumption look like?聽

红领巾瓜报 (红领巾瓜报) has developed a reliable methodology that can be applied to all 50 states, which approximates spending for the major categories of health services that MCOs cover, including: inpatient and outpatient hospital care, physician and other professional services, skilled nursing facilities, clinics, pharmaceuticals, and other services. 红领巾瓜报 can determine prices for these services, which, combined with data on the number of encounters, yields reliable cost figures. These cost estimates will be useful in identifying unmet medical needs, gaps in our delivery systems, and areas of high spending where efficiencies and timely care management can be added to slow the growth in total health spending. 

New Insights on Medicaid Spending: 红领巾瓜报 Analysis of Disaggregated Medicaid Managed Care Spending

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This week, our In Focus section highlights insights from a new 红领巾瓜报 (红领巾瓜报), issue brief, 鈥New Insights on Medicaid Spending: An Analysis of Disaggregated Managed Care Spending.鈥&苍产蝉辫;Until now, most Medicaid cost data have focused on enrollees in fee-for-service (FFS) programs. 红领巾瓜报 used the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System (T-MSIS) database to analyze Medicaid managed care organization (MCO) spending in major categories of healthcare, including inpatient and outpatient hospital care, physician and other professional services, skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and home and community-based services (HCBS), clinics, pharmaceuticals, and other services. 红领巾瓜报鈥檚 methodology can be applied to all 50 states and allows us to determine prices for these services, which, combined with data on the number of encounters, yields reliable cost figures.

Findings

Medicaid managed care accounted for $420 billion of the total $717 billion in Medicaid spending for federal fiscal year 2021. Professional claims accounted for the largest portion of Medicaid spending, totaling 25.1 percent, followed by SNFs at 19.7 percent, and inpatient claims at 15.4 percent.

Figure 1. T-MSIS Medicaid Spending by Service Category 2021 (MCO Disaggregated plus FFS)

What鈥檚 Next

This analysis can be replicated for subsequent years and will provide important information on Medicaid spending trends. This work also sets the stage for analyses and comparisons of cost categories by variables such as eligibility category (e.g., dual eligibles, children, parents, adults without children, the Medicaid expansion population, and designated as aged/frail/disabled); race and ethnicity; frequent users of hospital services; and people with multiple chronic illnesses. This type of analysis allows us to answer fundamental questions about the Medicaid program and can pinpoint areas of high need within the Medicaid population, such as:

  • How much do we spend on services for people with diabetes?
  • How much do we spend during childbirth/first year of life and in the last year of life?
  • How much do we spend for Medicare-Medicaid dual eligibles?

Data-informed discussions on these and other topics can help identify opportunities for efficiencies and timely care management to slow the growth in total healthcare spending. This information will provide important context for the policy debate, offering a full view of the relative magnitude of the major categories of Medicaid spending.

Connect with Us

Medicaid providers, MCOs, states, and policymakers all have an interest in identifying high-cost drivers of Medicaid managed care. The methodology applied in the analysis for the 红领巾瓜报 issue brief can be applied and adapted for future analysis.

For details about this analysis, its implications for state and local policies, and additional research using T-MSIS, contact our experts below.

State Cost Growth Benchmarking Programs: An Evaluation of Eight States鈥 Experiences and the Lessons Stakeholders Have Learned

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Background

In 2024, 红领巾瓜报 (红领巾瓜报) evaluated programs implemented by eight states (California, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington) aimed at controlling healthcare cost growth. In recent years, these states have tried to address the trend of escalating healthcare costs using an approach referred to as cost growth benchmarking (CGB). This is the act of setting a target for annual healthcare cost growth and measuring actual performance against the target. Since 2018, the Peterson-Milbank Program (PMP) for Sustainable Health Care Costs has invested in state-based CGB efforts by funding program development, implementation, and technical assistance. 红领巾瓜报 evaluated the Peterson Center on Healthcare’s cost growth benchmarking efforts across the eight states.

Methodology

红领巾瓜报鈥檚 evaluation for the Peterson Center on Healthcare included a detailed landscape review for each of the eight states and interviews with 45 state officials, providers, payers, and other stakeholders in these states. The 红领巾瓜报 team synthesized findings from the landscape review and the key informant interviews and produced an internal evaluation report.

Analytic Approach

The landscape review captured the state鈥檚 CGB program chronology, governance structure, growth targets, enforcement authority, and performance against the target. The interviews examined the contextual factors, stakeholder influence, implementation developments, capacity to control costs, facilitators and barriers to developing cost control capabilities, and the lessons learned based on the states鈥 experience. The interview discussion guide included a scoring component which enabled quantitative analysis in addition to the qualitative findings. 红领巾瓜报 analyzed these findings by state, category of interviewee (state officials, payers, providers, or others) and implementation stage (early vs. more recent adopters).

Findings

States鈥 efforts to engage and gather stakeholders, establish cost growth targets, collect and report data, and identify cost drivers have been successful, but states have had challenges to date in developing policies aimed at containing costs.

Utility

The findings from this analysis can be useful to the existing states in enhancing their CGB programs and to states interested in launching new CGB initiatives.

MyCare Ohio: The Next Generation鈥檚 impact on the Ohio Medicare & Medicaid landscape

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The transition of MyCare Ohio to the Next Generation of its program on January 1, 2026, marks a significant evolution in the way Ohio provides healthcare services to its dual-eligible population 鈥 those who qualify for both Medicaid and Medicare services.听This evolution moves Ohio to a Fully Integrated Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan model (FIDE SNP) that aims to achieve several key goals through a population health approach, designed to address inequities and disparities in care for dual-eligible individuals.听These goals include:

  • Improved Care Coordination. Strengthening integration between Medicare and Medicaid services to provide seamless, holistic care for individuals, reducing fragmentation and ensuring comprehensive management of medical, behavioral, and social needs.
  • Personalized Care. Utilizing data analytics and technology to create more tailored care plans, with a focus on proactive care to address the unique health needs of each individual, especially those with chronic conditions.
  • Expanded Access to Services. Increasing accessibility, particularly through telehealth and digital tools, to reach underserved populations and improve convenience for patients, particularly those in rural or remote areas.
  • Enhanced Quality of Care. Shifting focus from service volume to outcomes, encouraging providers to deliver high-quality care and improve patient satisfaction, while incentivizing preventive care to reduce hospital admissions and other high-cost interventions.
  • Technology Integration. Leveraging advanced technologies like mobile apps, predictive analytics, and telemedicine to monitor patient health, improve communication between patients and providers, and enable more efficient care delivery.

The current MyCare program is offered in 29 counties across Ohio but will transition to a statewide program as a part of the Next Generation changes. Additionally, Coordination Only Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans (CO DSNP) will no longer be permitted.

After the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) publicly released the request for applications (RFA) and evaluated submitted proposals, they selected four Managed Care Organization (MCOs) that will become the Next Generation MyCare plans. The ODM awarded the following MCOs to serve MyCare members beginning in January 2026: Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Buckeye Health Plan, CareSource, and Molina HealthCare of Ohio.

The shift to the FIDE SNP model and selection of four participating health plans will have a considerable impact on the competitive landscape for Medicare and Medicaid managed care in Ohio. The resulting changes can affect both selected and non-selected participants in different ways, including:

  • Increased competition among chosen MyCare MCOs. MCOs will need to focus on enhancing their care coordination systems, adopting new technologies, and developing personalized care plans to compete not just on the volume of services provided but also on the quality and effectiveness of care. Those who can best integrate services, offer proactive care management, and improve patient outcomes through value-based care and advanced technology initiatives will gain the competitive advantage, potentially attracting more beneficiaries.
  • Strategic responses of nonparticipating MCOs to counter potential membership and financial losses. MCOs that lose membership by not being selected, or are unable to offer CO DSNPs moving forward, will likely strategize how to gain membership through other product lines or benefit design to offset losses. Strategies may vary but could include tactics such as enhancing benefits or decreasing member cost shares to entice member movement across carriers for non-DSNP plans; finding innovative ways to further reach different segments within the Medicare population, such as Value Based Insurance Design (VBID) packages or Chronic SNP plays; or shifting focus to product lines outside of Medicare Advantage and Medicaid.

Ohio is one of many states transitioning to a FIDE model beginning January 2026. 红领巾瓜报 (红领巾瓜报) has successfully supported participating and non-participating carriers throughout the transition process and continues to be a dedicated partner to organizations navigating Medicare and Medicaid changes across the country.  Contact one of 红领巾瓜报鈥檚 many experts for more details on how to navigate this evolution in health care.

Nevada releases Medicaid managed care RFP: State will expand managed care statewide into rural areas

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This week, our In Focus section highlights the State of Nevada鈥檚 October 21, 2024  (RFP), which will expand Medicaid managed care to cover nearly all populations in all counties. The Department of Health and Human Services鈥 Division of Health Care Financing and Policy (DHCFP) estimates that the expansion statewide will cover 75,000 additional individuals who live in rural areas, including children, parents, and adults without children. The expansion to rural areas in all counties presents new opportunities and critical issues for managed care plans, ensuring that they meet the needs of rural populations effectively. 

Background 

In 2024, Nevada covers 788,000 Medicaid members, with risk-based capitated Medicaid managed care making up about 75 percent of the total Medicaid population. Managed care covers traditional Medicaid and expansion, the Children鈥檚 Health Insurance Program (CHIP) known as Nevada Check Up, and children who have aged out of foster care. Enrollment in an MCO is mandatory for these populations. Currently, Medicaid managed care is only offered in the urban Washoe and Clark counties, which include cities such as Reno and Las Vegas.  

Nevada has four MCOs that were procured in 2021: Centene/SilverSummit HealthPlan, Elevance/Anthem, Molina, and UnitedHealthcare/Health Plan of Nevada. These MCOs serve approximately 588,000 beneficiaries in Urban Washoe and Urban Clark counties as of August 2024. 

United and Elevance make up the majority of market share by enrollment, with 34.4 percent and 33 percent respectively.  

Individuals who receive Medicaid through fee-for-service (FFS) are Medicaid-enrolled children in foster care, juvenile justice, and child welfare systems; individuals with disabilities; seniors; and individuals receiving services through one of the three 1915 home and community-based waiver programs. These individuals will continue to receive services through FFS. 

RFP Highlights  

The RFP describes the state鈥檚 three managed care service areas (SA): Urban Washoe, Urban Clark, and Rural. The Rural SA will include all other counties in Nevada in addition to the rural areas of Washoe and Clark counties. 

MCOs must bid on all service areas. DHCFP anticipates selecting four plans. The two awarded vendors with the highest rural care score will operate in all three SAs. The remaining awarded vendors will operate in Urban Clark and Urban Washoe SAs. The state has the option to award a fifth contract to an MCO to operate in the Urban Clark SA only.  

The RFP focuses on rural care and policies designed to improve outcomes and access to care, reduce burdens for providers to participate, and simplify administrative tasks for the state. MCOs will need to show their understanding of the unique challenges facing rural providers. They will describe their approach for provider outreach, contracting, and provider training strategies in rural areas, with a focus on primary care, maternal and child health, and behavioral health. Due to the geographic limitations, telehealth will also play a strong role. MCOs will need to address limitations such as access to internet and provide an approach to help members access telehealth. Additionally, MCOs will need to provide their experience in managing non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) in rural areas and describe an approach for establishing and maintaining a network of transportation providers in these remote areas.  

MCOs also will be required to offer at least one Silver and one Gold Qualified Health Plan (QHP) on Nevada Health Link Marketplace by the 2026 coverage year. The state expects this contractual requirement will help reduce churning and improve continuity of care for individuals and families who have a change in eligibility status. 

MCOs must also contract with providers that use alternative payment methodologies (APMs), and plans will need to outline value-based purchasing (VBP) strategies within their proposals. APM contracting strategies must support priority areas such as addressing health-related social needs (HRSNs) and improving health equity, access, behavioral health, and maternal and child health outcomes. APM contracting strategies must include quality measures in the payment methodology and outline reporting and estimated financial details. Additionally, MCOs are required to develop a Population Health Program, so proposals must outline how it will leverage specific APMs to meet the program鈥檚 goals. 

Evaluation 

MCOs will require a minimum score of 945 points (out of 1,350 points) on the Technical Proposal to be eligible to win a contract. The Building Provider Networks and Access to Care technical questions is worth the most points, 450, while 300 points are available under the Rural Care and Service Area Expansion section. The table below provides a breakdown of the Technical Proposal Scoring. 

The state assigns the highest number of points to the section addressing provider networks and access to care followed by the section addressing rural care and service area expansion. 

Timeline 

Key Considerations  

红领巾瓜报 experts identified the key considerations for MCOs, partners to MCOs, providers who will furnish services to members, and other interested stakeholders.  

  • The Building Provider Networks and Access to Care Rural Care and Service Area Expansion sections together are worth 750 points, most of the minimum needed, and more than half of the total available points. This is a strong indicator of that MCOs need to demonstrate capacity and innovation to ensure access to members using multiple strategies. Ensuring a robust network of healthcare providers in rural areas is crucial. This includes recruiting and retaining providers who are willing to serve in these regions.  
  • In this RFP, DCHFP is evolving its value-based payment (VBP) initiatives and expectations for MCOs. The VBP strategies are intended to enhance care quality, improve patient outcomes, and ensure the sustainability of the Medicaid program. MCOs will need to design these models and successfully work with providers to implement the strategies and models.  
  • Both improving maternal and child health outcomes and addressing mental health and substance use disorders are priorities for the state. These can be more challenging in rural settings due to limited access to specialized care and will require rural specific solutions. 
  • Changing the Medicaid delivery system model in some rural areas may create the need for building awareness and understanding for the changes that come with this transition. MCOs should be prepared to effectively address the issues of equity and disparities that are present in in rural communities.  

Connect with Us 

红领巾瓜报鈥檚 experts understand the Medicaid managed care environment and specific issues presented by rural areas. We work with clients to address the multilevel challenges for delivery of quality healthcare and social services to rural populations, and the workforce concerns they create. We identify and help plan for access issues such as lack of services, transportation difficulties, and socio-economic barriers.  红领巾瓜报 knows the difficulties that often keep rural providers and organizations from achieving their full potential to serve and support their communities鈥 need and help Medicaid clients in rural areas in states around the country to solve these difficult problems. 

Read more about the work we are engaged in with a range of healthcare industry leaders focused on rural and frontier areas.  

Webinar Replay: Mastering Star Performance: Strategies from the 红领巾瓜报 Stars Accelerator Program

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This webinar was held on November 13, 2024.

In this webinar, attendees learned the essential methods and practices to enhance Star ratings through the 红领巾瓜报 Stars Accelerator program. The session explored how to leverage data analytics to effectively track current star performance and identify areas for improvement. Additionally, it covered stratification techniques that allow for targeted focus on key measure opportunities throughout the year to ensure optimal results.

Learning objectives:

  • Learn how to implement proven strategies and best practices
  • Understand how to leverage data analytics to monitor and assess trends
  • Provide focus areas to measure opportunities and enhance performance
LEARN MORE ABOUT 红领巾瓜报’S STAR ACCELERATOR PLAYBOOK

Highlights from 红领巾瓜报 survey on state approaches to managing the Medicaid pharmacy benefit

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This week’s In Focus covers key takeaways and insights from a recently released 红领巾瓜报 report, State Approaches to Managing the Medicaid Pharmacy Benefit: Insights from a National Survey for State Fiscal Years 2023 and 2024.

The report, released in August 2024 with support from Arnold Ventures, includes survey responses from 47 states (including DC) for state fiscal years (SFYs) 2023 and 2024. The survey instrument builds on questions posed in the  of all 50 states and the District of Columbia, which 红领巾瓜报 and the Kaiser Family Foundation conducted.  

The report discusses state trends for how Medicaid pharmacy benefits are administered across the country, including planned priorities and anticipated challenges in SFY 2025 and beyond. The findings are based on information provided by the nation鈥檚 state Medicaid Directors, Medicaid Pharmacy Directors, and other Medicaid agency experts. 

Pharmacy Benefit Administration  

In many states, managed care delivery systems play a pivotal role in administering Medicaid benefits, including prescription drugs. As of July 1, 2023, survey results found that:  

  • A total of 33 states carved pharmacy benefits into managed care organization (MCO) contracts, with one state, Kentucky, directing its MCOs to use a single state-selected pharmacy benefit manager (PBM). 
  • Eight states carve-out the pharmacy benefit鈥攄ouble the number in 2019. 

MCO states were surveyed about their use of carve outs for certain drug products/classes, inclusive of physician-administered drugs covered under the medical benefit.  

  • In all, 19 states reported carving out one or more drug classes or select agents within a drug class鈥攐ften high-cost specialty drugs. 
  • Of those states, 13 reported using the carve-out as part of a risk mitigation strategy.  
Bar chart titled "MCO PBM Contract Requirements as of July 1, 2023,"

Pharmacy Benefit Managers 

The significant role and market power of PBMs have prompted many state legislatures to enact greater transparency practices and require health plans to accept more responsibility for monitoring the PBMs they contract with, which reflect notable changes since the 2019 survey. More specifically: 

  • A total of 33 states reported contracting with a PBM.  
  • The most frequently reported PBM functions included utilization management, drug utilization review, claims processing and/or payment, and rebate administration activities.  

The 30 MCO states that carve in pharmacy benefits responded to survey questions about PBM transparency and spread pricing requirements. Of these states:  

  • 25 prohibit spread pricing in MCO PBM contracts鈥攎ore than double the number of states reporting prohibitions on spread pricing in 2019.  
  • 17 reported having PBM transparency reporting requirements.  
  • 10 states reported having 鈥渁ny willing鈥 pharmacy requirements.  

The Role of PDLs, Prior Authorization, and Step Therapy in Controlling Drug Costs and Utilization  

红领巾瓜报鈥檚 experts also sought information on state payment strategies and utilization management protocols that are used to manage pharmacy expenditures. Nearly all responding states (44) have a preferred drug list (PDL) in place for fee-for-service prescriptions, which allow states to drive the use of lower cost drugs by encouraging providers to prescribe preferred drugs. Further, nearly two-thirds of responding MCO states (19 of 30 states) that do not carve out the pharmacy benefit reported having a uniform PDL for some or all drug classes, requiring all MCOs to cover the same drugs.  

Many states鈥痟ave implemented鈥痵tep therapy鈥痑nd prior authorization (PA) guardrails in their Medicaid programs through legislation. However, 85.1 percent of responding states (40 of 47) report utilization controls like PA or step therapy applied to drugs that are reimbursed through the medical benefit to control utilization and costs. States also play an active role in managing MCO clinical protocols or medical necessity criteria, with 22 out of 30 MCO pharmacy carve-in states reporting that they require uniform clinical protocols for some or all drugs with clinical criteria. Approximately one-half of responding MCO carve-in states also require review and approval of MCOs鈥 PA criteria (15 of 30 states) and step therapy criteria (14 of 30 states).  

State Adoption of VBAs: Improving Patient Access to Cell and Gene Therapies  

A growing number of states are actively considering entering into value-based arrangements (VBAs) with manufacturers, as pressure to improve patient access to cell and gene therapies increases. Nine states have at least one VBA in place, and 23 states reported that VBAs are among their future solutions for addressing coverage of new high-cost therapies. States will need to address common barriers to VBA implementation, which involves more upfront costs and operational challenges to implement than traditional contracts. 

Subsequent to the submission of survey responses, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Access Model, which begins with a focus on sickle cell disease, anticipated to go live on January 1, 2025. Under the model, CMS will negotiate outcomes-based agreements with manufacturers on behalf of the state to ensure that treatment pricing is related to treatment effectiveness. In the coming years, experiences with this model will help determine whether a CMS-led approach to developing and administering VBAs for CGTs improves Medicaid member access to innovative treatment and their impact on expenditures, if any.  

Map of the United States titled "States with Approved VBA State Plan Amendments as of March 14, 2024,"
Source:

Looking Ahead  

Managing the Medicaid pharmacy benefit has never been more challenging. In FY 2025 and beyond, most states will be focused on managing their Medicaid pharmacy budgets, especially the development of VBAs and other policies and strategies for managing new high-cost therapies. Other top priorities and challenges cited by multiple states include management of PBM arrangements and considering coverage of the new generation of GLP-1 anti-obesity medications. States also must react to changing drug marketplace conditions driven, in part, by federal policy changes to the Medicaid drug rebate formula and changes designed to lower Medicare drug costs. Drug manufacturer responses to these changes have implications for Medicaid state budgets, but also for state PDL management decisions and beneficiary access to needed medications. 

Connect with Us 

The upcoming event,鈥, hosted by 红领巾瓜报, will offer more opportunities to engage with report author Kathy Gifford at the pre-conference workshop Paying for Innovative Pharmaceuticals: State and Federal Trends Shaping Public Programs. Leaders from various sectors will join Kathy to discuss trends in prescription drug policies in public and commercial insurance programs. 

For details about the report, contact our featured experts below.

Decoding your defense: a playbook to help your plan increase your Star rating

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Watch a replay of our webinar Mastering Star Performance: Strategies from the 红领巾瓜报 Stars Accelerator Program.

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红领巾瓜报 works with managed care plans to maximize Star ratings and improve program quality.

Star Ratings have been on a steady decline over the last two years resulting in large reductions in quality bonus and rebate payments, potentially impacting opportunities to improve member health outcomes.

How 红领巾瓜报 can help improve a plan鈥檚
Star rating:

We have developed a playbook that captures The 红领巾瓜报 Stars Accelerator Solution with proven strategies for Stars improvement based on our diverse and extensive expertise in managed care plan (MCP) operations, MCP strategy, performance improvement, actuarial science, data analytics, risk adjustment, and federal and state policy.

Using our vast experience in the Medicare and Medicaid space, 红领巾瓜报 can help you maximize ratings in programs like Medicare Stars and Medicaid quality performance. Together with our actuarial colleagues from Wakely Consulting Group and federal policy expert colleagues from Leavitt Partners, both 红领巾瓜报 companies, we can provide the assistance you need to move your organization to a higher Star rating level. With guidance from 红领巾瓜报 experts, the Accelerator is scalable for both functional and matrix organizations.

Want a copy of 红领巾瓜报’s
Stars Accelerator Playbook?

Fill out this form and one of our consultants will get back to you.

红领巾瓜报 can help your organization create momentum by combining 红领巾瓜报鈥檚 programmatic strategies with a robust actuarial and analytical basis, inclusive of integrated risk adjustment.

Meaningful data analysis ensures plans can prioritize the most important areas for strategic focus. Improving performance in Stars requires a multi-pronged, multifactorial approach. The 红领巾瓜报 Stars Accelerator Solution is consumer-oriented and customizable to meet the unique needs of your members鈥 needs. It facilitates understanding of the organization鈥檚 current state, identifies opportunities for improvement, provides best practices for design of meaningful solutions to implement, and measures the effectiveness of improvements.

Diagram of seven connected hexagons forming a circle around 鈥淐ontinuous Improvement Methodology,鈥 showing six steps: SWOT Analysis, Journey Mapping, Plan Access, Member Outreach, Provider Support, and Analytics.

Why is a high Star rating important for a health plan?

This image shows a rating table with three columns: Numeric, Graphic, and Description.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) publishes the Medicare Advantage (Medicare Part C) and Medicare Part D Star ratings each year to measure the quality of health and drug services received by consumers enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA) and Prescription Drug Plans (PDPs or Part D plans). Star ratings impact a managed care plan鈥檚 financial performance, competitiveness, growth, and member retention. They are based on measures of multiple aspects of plan performance including:

Member experience and satisfaction

Administrative performance

Medication safety and/or adherence

Hospital readmissions

Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) and Health Outcomes Survey (HOS), both of which measure performance improvement.

Contracts are rated on a scale of one to five stars (rounded to nearest half star) based on approximately 45 measures related to preventive care, member experience (health plan customer service, physician point of service care, and perceived health), prescription drug monitoring, health plan operations, etc.

The industry has meaningfully improved traditional quality metrics (e.g. preventative care and medication adherence rates). As performance peaks in those measures, CMS is placing increasing emphasis on the member experience with their health plan and their providers during care.

Plans with 5 stars can market year-round.

The marketing advantage is a distinction for a high rated plan.

Poor performers (under 3 Star rating for 3 years) receive a Poor Performance Icon and may not be able to renew with CMS.

In 2024 there were 29 Part C (Medicare Parts A & B) and 11 Part D (Pharmacy) measures, and they can change every year. CMS recently released plan preview Star performance data for health plans to review. Final scores and Star ratings will be released by CMS in early October 2024 for Star Year 2025 based upon 2023 dates of service.

Star Rating High Level Timeline

CMS Star Ratings are a lagged pay-for-performance system. For 2026 Star Ratings, 2024 and early 2025 performance timeframes are critical to success, even though payments for this performance will not be received until 2027.

This image shows a high-level timeline for CMS Star Ratings from 2024 to 2027.

What plans do in 2024 and 2025 impacts your 2026 Star rating which will affect your plan鈥檚 revenues in 2027.

Is your plan building a strategy for next year based upon underperforming measures?  Are you looking for ways to lean in on any remaining Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) and HOS opportunities? Do you know where to start?

See our 红领巾瓜报 Solutions page, Star Rating: We Can Help You Navigate to a Higher Level, for more information.

Contact our experts below for more information about 红领巾瓜报鈥檚 Stars Accelerator Solution.

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Amy Bassano

Senior Advisor

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Tom Lutzow

Principal

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Daniela Simpson

Senior Consultant II

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Mary Walter

Principal

How states are shaping Medicaid managed care and marketplace participation

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This week, our In Focus section reviews state policies designed to increase insurer participation in Medicaid managed care and Marketplace programs. As states seek to address healthcare costs, affordability, and consumer experiences, they are exploring a range of initiatives鈥攆rom the rise of prescription drug affordability boards to cost containment commissions, cost growth benchmarks, transparency, and examination of mergers and acquisitions.  

A notable trend is the use of state policy and purchasing power to encourage or mandate that Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs) offer Marketplace plans. Dual-market participation can help smooth coverage transitions, ensure continuity of care, and expand consumer choice. The remainder of this article addresses original research and analysis of this trend by our 红领巾瓜报, Inc. (红领巾瓜报), featured experts.

Current Landscape  

In 2024, enrollment in the Marketplace program has surged to more than 21 million, approximately a 30 percent increase from 2023. This growth was largely attributed to the temporary enhanced subsidies that allowed more people to access affordable coverage. Over the past several regulatory cycles, federal policymakers also have taken steps to further align the Marketplace framework with Medicaid on key issues, such as essential community provider access, eligibility and enrollment processes, and plan design standards. In response, states are innovating to meet federal requirements while pursuing their own healthcare goals related to coverage, affordability, access, and healthcare outcomes.鈥 

Value Proposition  

A compelling value proposition for Medicaid MCOs to participate in the Marketplace (and vice versa) includes the ability to market to and retain people moving from one program to another as life circumstances change. Dual-market participation also supports diversification and growth strategies. In fact, enrollment in the Marketplace has nearly doubled since 2020. For Medicaid MCOs in particular, expanding product offerings to include Marketplace plans presents a unique opportunity to leverage existing provider networks and reimbursement arrangements to deliver more competitive rates. 

Consumers benefit when the same organization participates in both markets. Families with parents and children who obtain coverage under different programs have an opportunity to work with a single organization and choose providers from the same or overlapping networks. Income fluctuations may result in disenrollment from one program (e.g., Medicaid) and eligibility for a new program (e.g., Marketplace subsidies). Continuity of care policies can smooth these transitions in areas such as prior authorization, care management, and provider network.  

State Strategies to Increase Dual-Market Participation 

The Affordable Care Act expanded access to affordable health insurance coverage for as many as 45 million individuals by giving states the option to expand Medicaid and provide federal subsidies to people who purchase Marketplace plans. States are now using various strategies to encourage or require insurer participation in both programs to ease transitions for individuals and families 鈥渃hurning鈥 from one program to another, increase competition and choice of Marketplace plans, and reduce the risk of coverage gaps. For example:  

  • Nevada is requiring any bidder that plans to respond to its upcoming Medicaid MCO procurement to separately submit a 鈥済ood faith鈥 response to the . This state-contracted, public option will be available on the Silver State Health Insurance Exchange beginning in 2026. Failure to submit a good faith proposal will disqualify an organization from participating in the Medicaid MCO procurement later this fall. Nevada鈥檚 current Medicaid MCOs must participate in the Marketplace by offering at least one Silver and one Gold qualified health plan (QHP) that has overlapping provider networks, serves the same service area, and charges reasonable premiums. 
  • Rhode Island and New Mexico require or intend to require that their Medicaid MCOs participate in the Marketplace. As an awardee of Rhode Island鈥檚 recent Medicaid MCO procurement, UnitedHealthcare, must reenter the HealthSource Rhode Island market in 2027. These states also have designed their Medicaid MCO auto-assignment methodology to favor enrollment in a Medicaid MCO affiliated with an individual鈥檚 previous Marketplace plan or a family member鈥檚 Marketplace plan.  
  • In its last Medicaid MCO procurement (2018), North Carolina offered bonus points to any bidder that agrees to offer a Marketplace MCO. The resulting contract codified the market entry commitment and included implications for failure to follow through. Nonfulfillment could result in the highest level of contract noncompliance and associated penalties. 
  • Arkansas expanded its Medicaid program using federal matching funds to purchase QHP coverage through the Marketplace. Minnesota, one of the few states offering a basic health program, contracts with the same organizations to provide coverage under both programs.  
  • Iowa uses contract language to encourage, but not require, Medicaid MCOs to participate in the Marketplace to facilitate continuity of care during coverage transitions. 

The Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS) collaborated with states to promote continuity of coverage following the end of the Medicaid continuous enrollment requirement established in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020, also known as the Medicaid public health emergency (PHE) unwinding. This support includes the  of permissible outreach activities by Medicaid MCOs that also offer a Marketplace plan, information sharing, and other assistance. Many states have incorporated the CMS guidanceiii into Medicaid MCO contracts. North Carolina, Utah, and West Virginia include additional contract terms supporting their Medicaid MCOs鈥 ability to co-market Medicaid and Marketplace plans, including when an individual is losing Medicaid eligibility.  

What to Watch For 

Coverage transition challenges throughout the Medicaid PHE unwinding have highlighted the real-life impact of coverage gaps and the importance of policies and practices that promote uninterrupted access to healthcare coverage. Historic Marketplace enrollment levels and recent CMS guidance clarifying the allowability of outreach to people who are losing Medicaid coverage about Marketplace plan available make the prospect of dual-market participation increasingly attractive for Medicaid MCOs. A greater focus on improving continuity of care and Marketplace plan choice may lead to more states encouraging or requiring Medicaid MCOs to participate in the Marketplace.  

Connect with Us  

The upcoming 红领巾瓜报 event,鈥, will offer more opportunities to engage with leaders from various sectors who are advancing innovations in Medicaid managed care and Marketplace programs and the points at which these programs intersect. State Medicaid and insurance commissioners, health plan executives, and community leaders, among others, will share insights into their market success and initiatives designed to address healthcare costs and insurance affordability.  

Experts from 红领巾瓜报 and our family of companies have extensive experience in the policy, structure, and administration of healthcare markets and health plan contracting. For more information, contact our featured experts below.

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