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Board accepts UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage rates with two‑year guarantee; members to keep post‑discharge meal and transportation benefits
Summary
The SFHSS board approved UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage 2021 retiree rates (proposed $422.22 PMPM, a 2.9% decrease) and accepted a UnitedHealthcare two‑year rate‑guarantee proposal; innovation benefits (SilverSneakers, post‑discharge transportation and meal delivery) remain in the plan at no additional premium.
The San Francisco Health Service System board approved UnitedHealthcare’s 2021 Medicare Advantage retiree rate cards after reviewing a presentation from Aon and a plan representative.
Aon summarized the UHC proposal as a $422.22 per‑member per‑month (PMPM) rate for 2021, a 2.9% reduction from 2020 that Aon attributed to the permanent elimination of the Affordable Care Act health‑insurer tax, favorable underwriting adjustments and expected temporary claim suppression stemming from the COVID‑19 pandemic. UnitedHealthcare also offered a 2‑year rate‑guarantee package that would set a $427.22 PMPM quote for 2022.
UnitedHealthcare said it would continue to include several value‑added benefits at no additional member cost: SilverSneakers fitness options, routine and post‑discharge transportation (including a post‑discharge meal program), and a post‑discharge meal delivery benefit offering up to 84 meals after an inpatient hospitalization.
Commissioners sought data on utilization and value. Commissioner Follinsbee highlighted the need to monitor preventive care suppression during the pandemic and to ensure outreach to encourage members to resume preventive screenings. Several commissioners pressed for further detail on meal utilization and per‑meal costs; Commissioner Follinsbee’s back‑of‑envelope calculation based on prior rate inputs suggested a high per‑meal cost, and commissioners asked staff and UHC to provide a fuller utilization and cost analysis.
UHC said it would provide follow‑up detail on program utilization and the integration of clinical case managers in discharge planning. The board voted to accept the UHC 2021 rate cards (the motion passed; transcript notes it was not unanimous). Staff and the plan agreed to provide follow‑up utilization reporting to the board.
