Sicker Medicare Beneficiaries and Original Medicare

NPR recently ran a story about beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans. As Seniors Get Sicker, They’re More Likely To Drop Medicare Advantage Plans  discusses a recent “GAO report, released this spring, [that] reviewed 126 Medicare Advantage plans and found that 35 of them had disproportionately high numbers of sicker people dropping out. Patients cited difficulty with access to “preferred doctors and hospitals” or other medical care as the leading reasons for leaving.” The article notes the positives to MA plans, but also some concerns: “some critics argue the plans can prove risky for seniors in poor or declining health, or those … who need to see specialists, because they often face hurdles getting access.” The GAO report referenced in the story is available here.