Private Medicare plans get billions for veterans who get VA care

One ad shows two older men talking jovially on a front porch, “Vietnam veteran” visible on one of their hats. Another shows an older man in military regalia, arms crossed, smiling proudly at the camera. 

Under names like “Patriot Plan,” “Courage MA,” and “Honor” plan, all of the major private Medicare insurers are courting veterans directly, selling plans that their ads say complement their Veterans Affairs coverage with benefits like dental and vision. These Medicare Advantage plans are quite popular — almost 42% of all Medicare-eligible veterans had one in 2022. 

The sharp growth of MA plans among veterans over the past decade alarms health policy researchers, who see the federal government effectively paying twice for the same patient’s care. That’s because Medicare pays MA plans a set monthly rate for each person they enroll. That money is supposed to cover all their Medicare-eligible services, whether they get care or not. The problem occurs when the VA, also part of the federal government, pays for care the MA plan could have covered.