Medicare Advantage Networks for Postacute Care Facilities

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Policy
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Medicare Advantage (MA) plans are increasingly prevalent.
• MA plans often utilize provider networks to manage costs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the prevalence and characteristics of narrow networks in Medicare Advantage plans for post-acute care facilities.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of Medicare Advantage plan network data.
• Comparison of network breadth across different plan types and geographic regions.

Main Results:

• A significant proportion of Medicare Advantage plans employ narrow networks for post-acute care.
• Network restrictions vary considerably among plans, potentially impacting beneficiary access.

Conclusions:

• Narrow networks in Medicare Advantage plans for post-acute care are a notable feature.
• Further research is needed to understand the implications for patient outcomes and healthcare access.