04 Jan The Task Force Provides Input to CMS on the CY2025 Medicare Advantage Proposed Rule
Posted at 09:47h
in Policy Communications
The Health Care Transformation Task Force submitted comments on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) CY2025 Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Programs Proposed Rule (CMS-4205-P). The Task Force’s letter focuses on the following topics:
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- Quality Measurement: The Task Force supports CMS’ efforts to align quality measures across payers and programs, which CMS proposes to do by incorporating Universal Foundation measures into MA Star Ratings. HCTTF agrees with the approach of selecting fewer, better measures, and recommends that CMS further refine the Universal Foundation measures over time.
- Health Equity: The Task Force supports the proposal that MA plans should include a member with expertise in health equity in their Utilization Management Committees, as a means of promoting health equity for patients.
- Behavioral Health: The Task Force shares CMS’ commitment to improving behavioral health care and is generally supportive of CMS’ proposal to create a new facility-specialty type for Outpatient Behavioral Health. However, HCTTF recommends that CMS refine the proposed policies to increase their effectiveness. For example, CMS should include all providers that deliver behavioral health care – including clinical psychologists and social workers – in the new facility-specialty type.
- Supplemental Benefits: The Task Force strongly supports supplemental benefits because of their capacity to address patients’ health related social needs and supports CMS’ proposal that plans submit peer-reviewed literature on all supplemental benefits. However, CMS should make refinements that would increase access to innovative care.
- Dually Eligible Patients: The Task Force supports policies that improve patient choice and reduce out-of-pocket costs. Therefore, HCTTF supports CMS’ proposals to limit dually eligible patients’ out-of-network cost sharing, as well as improvements to make the Medicare Plan Finder website more user friendly.