In this policy brief, we assess variation in Medicare’s star quality ratings of Medicare Advantage (MA) plans that are available to rural beneficiaries. Evidence from the recent Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) quality demonstration suggests that market dynamics, i.e., firms entering and exiting the MA marketplace, play a role in quality improvement. Therefore, we also discuss how market dynamics may impact the smaller and less wealthy populations that are characteristic of rural places.
Written by Leah Kemper, MPH; Abigail R. Barker, PhD; Lyndsey Wilbers, BA; Timothy D. McBride, PhD; and Keith Mueller, PhD in July 2016.
