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Medicare Advantage (MA) plans — private insurers’ alternatives to traditional Medicare — have grown in popularity in recent years with 28 million Americans signing up. But they have one big problem that frustrates many enrollees, as well as doctors and hospitals: prior authorization.  The plans call prior authorization a “utilization management tool” designed to keep

Except in very limited circumstances, original Medicare doesn’t cover dental care. Surgery to treat jaw fractures, some dental services to prepare for radiation treatment of oral cancer, or an oral exam in a hospital before a kidney transplant are among the few instances when Medicare will say OK. But original Medicare doesn’t cover any routine dental care

Medicare Advantage managed care plans, which in 2021 covered 26 million enrollees, will get an average 8.5 percent increase in total Medicare payments next year. At the same time, MA plans are rapidly embracing a wide range of social services and supports for older adults living at home. Sometimes called long-term care lite, these benefits range from meal