Erickson Advantage, Erickson Senior Living’s resident-only Medicare Advantage plan, has earned five stars from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for the fourth consecutive year.
Matthew Narrett, MD, Erickson Senior Living’s chief medical officer, said that the company is “proud” of the accomplishment.
“It speaks to the confidence that residents enjoy when they choose one of our health plan options,” Narrett said. Residents in the plan, he added, “benefit from an integrative health and well-being model supported by a team of experts who help them make the most of the vibrant lifestyle Erickson Senior Living communities offer.”
Erickson Advantage, offered through UnitedHealthcare Insurance Co, was created exclusively for residents of the continuing care retirement / life plan communities developed and managed by Erickson Senior Living for National Senior Communities.
According to Erickson, only 31 of the 545 Medicare Advantage health plans have achieved CMS 5-star standards for quality, member satisfaction and customer service for the 2024 plan year.
Erickson Advantage offerings have grown over the years. The plan added a fitness benefit “that focuses on both the physical and mental health and well-being” in 2021. For 2022, the company added a new telehealth benefit as well as a Part B premium rebate and a $0 specialist copay benefit to select plans.
CMS says that its rating system helps Medicare beneficiaries compare the quality of Medicare health and drug plans so they can make the best healthcare decisions for themselves. An important component of this effort, according to the agency, is to provide Medicare consumers and their caregivers meaningful information about quality alongside information about benefits and costs.
Medicare Advantage has gained more than 2 million enrollees in the past year, reaching more than 47% of the Medicare-eligible population, ATI Advisory previously reported. Special needs plans also grew, with more than 1,300 plans serving more than 5 million beneficiaries this year.
CMS data show, however, that the average star ratings for Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D prescription drug plans decreased by 51% year over year from last year. Average ratings declined to 4.04 and 3.11 stars, respectively, for the second consecutive year, according to an Oct. 13 fact sheet from the agency.
