Health Regulators Press Medicare Advantage Plans in Puerto Rico

The Biden administration put pressure on Medicare Advantage plans in Puerto Rico amid concerns the island’s insurers are spending federal funding on extraneous benefits rather than paying providers enough to stop them from leaving for the mainland.

US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra on March 14 sent a letter to the CEOs of Elevance Health, MHH Healthcare, Guidewell/Florida Blue, and Humana Inc., asking for details on why and how the companies use federal funding to bolster supplemental benefits like pet care, roadside assistance, and household repairs rather than paying doctors.

“I write today because ...