title: Puzzling out the new Medicare. How plan sponsors can understand and use Medicare+Choice to benefit their members and themselves.
abstract: This article will discuss issues confronting plan sponsors in light of new Medicare+Choice options, and ways of responding to those issues. It will include a section with highlights of the "new" Medicare, including a brief description of new terminology and general descriptions of the different types of "coordinated care plans" and other options, e.g., POS, PPO, HMO, FFS, PSO and MSA. Its principal focus, however, will be on ways that plan sponsors can respond to--and capitalize on--the changes in Medicare and offer retirees a broader array of benefits while at the same time increasing their control over plan costs. The article will introduce the idea of plan sponsors constructing a retiree "flexible benefits" program comprising Medicare+Choice options.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Parahus
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014487:Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S.; D006264:Health Benefit Plans, Employee / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000191:economics*; D020402:Medical Savings Accounts; D020398:Medicare Part C / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012179:Retirement / Q000191:economics; D014481:United States