Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today said he hopes Medicare Advantage plans in Oregon will apply for a new demonstration project from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that would encourage the use of high-value health services to treat chronic illnesses:
“The future of Medicare is all about how to effectively care for beneficiaries with multiple complex chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer,” Wyden said. “The Medicare Advantage VBID model is a promising start from CMS to improve care and lower costs for seniors facing the challenge of chronic illness. I’m proud Oregon has been included in this model so our health care system can continue to demonstrate it is among the most innovative in the nation, and I hope plans in Oregon take advantage of this opportunity.”
Wyden’s statement comes as CMS this week released a Request for Applications to Medicare Advantage plans in seven states that have been selected to take part in the demonstration beginning in 2017, including Oregon. Oregon MA plans may now decide whether they want to apply. That document can be found here.
Last month, CMS announced the Medicare Advantage Value-Based Insurance Design (VBID) model. The demonstration will run for five years and test how insurance designed specifically to help enrollees with chronic conditions receive better care and reduce their health costs. More information from CMS can be found here.
