A bipartisan group of senators is urging the Biden administration to beef up the amount of data it collects from private Medicare plans in order to combat overpayments and improper care denials.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and three of her colleagues sent a letter Thursday to Medicare administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure that asked her to dramatically expand the amount of data her agency collects and publicly reports from Medicare Advantage plans, especially when it comes to prior authorizations, claim denials, and coverage of supplemental benefits. This year marks the first time half of Medicare members are enrolled in MA, but those plans routinely refuse to cover necessary services. In order to adequately oversee the program and create reforms, the lawmakers say they need more granular plan-level data.
“[Medicare] can collect and publish these data using its existing authority,” the senators wrote. “To strengthen the transparency of MA plans and improve care for Medicare beneficiaries, we urge [Medicare] to take these actions.”