WASHINGTON, D.C. – (January 30, 2024) – A bipartisan group of 61 Senators—led by Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tim Scott (R-SC), Gary Peters (D-MI), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)—sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) expressing their support for Medicare Advantage (MA). In the letter, the Senators urge CMS to strengthen and protect MA as a critical choice for the more than 32 million seniors and people with disabilities who choose it because it delivers better services, better access to care, and better value.
“More than 32 million seniors are grateful that a bipartisan majority of Senators took a stand to defend and protect their Medicare Advantage coverage,” said Mike Tuffin, AHIP President and CEO. “Their support will help reinforce this important coverage option now and in the future.”
Highlights from the letter are included below:
Keeping MA Strong for Today and Tomorrow:
“We write to express our bipartisan support for the Medicare Advantage program and the health care coverage it provides to over 32 million seniors and individuals with disabilities. The number of Americans who choose Medicare Advantage continues to grow each year, and Medicare Advantage now serves over half of all individuals eligible for Medicare. We appreciate your ongoing commitment to ensuring that the Medicare Advantage program meets the health care needs of all beneficiaries while improving the quality and long-term stability of the Medicare program. As the Administration considers updates for plan year 2025, we request that you ensure payment and policy stability for the Medicare Advantage program, to protect and strengthen this critical choice for current and future Medicare beneficiaries.”
An Affordable Choice for Americans:
“Enrollees often choose Medicare Advantage for savings on premiums and cost-sharing. In 2023, nearly 75 percent of seniors enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan with Part D prescription drug coverage paid no additional premium. Compared with traditional Medicare beneficiaries, Medicare Advantage enrollees are more likely to live on less than $20,000 per year. That is why seniors and individuals with disabilities must continue to have stable access to the extra benefits and out-of-pocket protections only available in Medicare Advantage.”
Addressing the Needs of Increasingly Diverse Populations:
“…the program supports an increasingly diverse population with varied health and socioeconomic backgrounds, including a growing number of Americans in minority and rural communities. In addition, the design of the Medicare Advantage program enables plans to address health-related social needs of such populations like food insecurity or lack of transportation, enhance the focus on primary care, and provide access to telehealth services and in-home care.”
Please click here to view and download the letter.