If you’re a Medicare Advantage Part D (MAPD) health plan, your Star Ratings strategy can make or break you (and your bonus dollars). Here are some less obvious ways we see MAPD plans not meeting their Star Ratings potential.

Dr. Stephen Jones leads a team of analysts that brings diverse knowledge and expertise from all corners of healthcare. We asked Dr. Jones to shed a little light on how this collection of experts drives financial and quality results for national and regional health plan clients.

In the face of CMS’s proposed changes to everything from cut points to quality measures, Medicare Advantage Part D (MAPD) plans are asking themselves some hard questions about their 2020 Star Ratings programs. We asked Deborah O’Connor, RxAnte’s Director of Business Development, for the answers.

At the end of a 2018 JAMA article discussing a systems approach to medication adherence, it states: “Our challenge now is to identify and address the interdependence of components across the health care system to design an error-proof system for medication adherence.” Challenge accepted.

In a recent blog, we summarized and discussed two rules recently proposed by CMS. These rules impact Medicare Advantage and Part D plans in a big way, by reshaping quality measures, flexibility, and more. Overall, we’re excited to see more transparency and accessibility in healthcare and feel these rules are moving in the right direction. However, experiences of our own tell us that some further adjustments to the rules may be warranted.

With all that’s happening in the Medicare space, one theme rises to the top: social determinants of health. A growing older population and mounting research show us how important it is to develop healthcare that treats more than physical health. This drives us to establish what the CDC refers to as “health equity,” and for Medicare Part D programs, it’s critical.

If you’re leading a Medicare Advantage Part D (MAPD) plan, we know you have a lot on your mind right now. To help you make the most of your medication adherence strategy, we’ve done a few things recently that you ought to check out.

Keeping up with rule and policy changes from the CMS is just part of life for MAPD plans. Recently, however, two in particular are signaling a shift to in the industry: CMS-4180-P and CMS-4185-P. Should these rules become final, MAPD plans and their beneficiaries will notice substantial changes. Here’s what health plan leadership needs to know.

Medicare Advantage Part D (MAPD) health plans inevitably have problems with scale when it comes to quality measure programs and strategic initiatives. Resources may be spread thin and funding may be challenging to acquire. Here are some places to start making your quality measure programs scalable.