Medicare HMO withdrawals: what happens to beneficiaries?
More than 400,000 Medicare beneficiaries had to seek other insurance arrangements when their health maintenance organization (HMO) withdrew from Medicare at the end of 1998. According to a new survey of 1,830 involuntarily disenrolled Medicare beneficiaries, two-thirds subsequently enrolled in another Medicare HMO; one-third experienced a decline in benefits, and 39 percent reported higher monthly premiums. One in seven lost prescription drug coverage; about one in five had to switch to a new primary care doctor or specialist. Those with traditional Medicare by itself or with Medigap, the disabled under age sixty-five, the oldest old, and the near-poor experienced the greatest hardship after their HMO withdrew.
Laschober
M A
MA
Health Economics Practice of Barents Group LLC, Washington, D.C., USA.
Neuman
P
P
Kitchman
M S
MS
Meyer
L
L
Langwell
K M
KM
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D017047:Cost Sharing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005382:Financing, Personal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019981:Health Care Sector / Q000639:trends; D006279:Health Maintenance Organizations / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007342:Insurance Benefits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019458:Insurance Coverage / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017054:Insurance, Medigap / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006278:Medicare / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States