Humana to back curbs to Medicare Advantage billing practices

Humana has told congressional staffers that it will support moves that would curtail billing practices worth billions in extra payments to the industry. The stance by a leader in the Medicare Advantage business represents an important development in a growing debate over how the companies are paid in the $460 billion program. Humana has told congressional staffers that it is willing to back new limits on lucrative payments insurers can gain from diagnoses recorded by nurse practitioners who visit millions of enrollees in their homes. After the Journal published this article Thursday, UnitedHealth Group, posted a statement saying that it too would support a new limit on the use of diagnoses from home visits. A Wall Street Journal investigation found home visits generated $15 billion in revenue for Medicare insurers over three years.