Effects of Caps on Cost Sharing for Skilled Nursing Facility Services in Medicare Advantage Plans.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To evaluate a federal regulation effective in 2011 that limited how much that Medicare Advantage (MA) plans could charge for the first 20 days of care in a skilled nursing facility (SNF).

Design

Difference-in-differences retrospective analysis comparing SNF utilization trends from 2008-2012.

Setting

Select MA plans.

Participants

Members of 27 plans with mandatory cost sharing reductions (n=132,000) and members of 21 plans without such reductions (n=138,846).

Measurements

Mean monthly number of SNF admissions and days per 1,000 members; annual proportion of MA enrollees exiting the plan.

Results

In plans with mandated cost sharing reductions, cost sharing for the first 20 days of SNF care decreased from an average of $2,039 in 2010 to $9

SUBMITTER: Keohane LM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5992084 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature