Former CMS CMO Jeffrey Kang, MD, penned a column for STAT in which he argues Medicare Advantage should convert other providers to transition to value-based care.
Here's what you should know.
1. Dr. Kang argues Medicare Advantage has been value-based since the 1970s.
2. Republican legislators advocate for Medicare Advantage. House Speaker Paul Ryan's (R-Wis.) healthcare plan called for "immediate reinvestments into Medicare Advantage."
3. Dr. Kang believes Medicare Advantage "gets a lot right" concerning value-based care.
4. Dr. Kang said his practice encourages preventive care and care management at both low premiums and out-of-pocket costs.
He wrote for STAT, "For instance, at our 39 centers across nine U.S. markets, ChenMed physicians spend 168 minutes per year face-to-face with each patient, compared to the national average of just 13 to 16 minutes. As a result, our patients average 38 percent fewer days in the hospital than the national average."
5. Dr. Kang argued for the implementation of three specific measures:
- Congress should repeal benchmark caps which cap payments to drive more providers to Medicare Advantage plans.
- Increase seniors' ease of access to Medicare Advantage plans.
- Legislators need to monitor the consolidation in the healthcare industry.