Rural Medicare Advantage Changes Complicate Access to Care

The article discusses the growing issue of rural Medicare Advantage (MA) expansion leading to more insurers terminating local healthcare providers from their networks, consequently requiring rural seniors to travel further for care. Critics argue that these actions create a financial advantage for MA plans while undermining rural access to essential services. It highlights how certain plans, particularly by Humana and People’s Health, are impacting local hospitals and healthcare dynamics in Louisiana, where residents struggle with provider changes and potential out-of-network costs. The article also explores how recent changes by federal authorities to payment safeguards exacerbate these access issues and the urgent need for policy reforms to protect rural patients’ access to healthcare.