WASHINGTON, D.C. – (January 31, 2023) – A strong bipartisan group of more than 60 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 today to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) with a clear message: Protect and strengthen Medicare Advantage (MA) for the more than 30 million seniors and people with disabilities who depend on it for their health and financial well-being. This letter was sent ahead of the MA Advance Rate Notice, expected to be issued by CMS on February 1, which proposes payment and other policies that are essential to defining benefits and solutions for the next benefit year. The letter was signed by virtually every new Senator.
A Strong Commitment to MA:
“We write to express our bipartisan support for the Medicare Advantage program and the high-quality care it provides to nearly 30 million older adults and individuals with disabilities…We are committed to our nearly 30 million constituents across the United States who rely on Medicare Advantage, and to maintaining access to the affordable, high-quality care they currently receive. We ask that the Administration provide a stable rate and policy environment for Medicare Advantage that will strengthen and ensure the long-term sustainability of the program—protecting access to its important benefits on which our constituents have come to rely.”
MA Is an Affordable Choice:
“In 2023, average Medicare Advantage premiums will fall to a 16-year low of $18 per month and beneficiaries will have access to vital financial protections, including out-of-pocket spending limits and often prescription drug coverage for no additional premium. With 53 percent of Medicare Advantage enrollees living on less than $25,000 per year, combined with increasing pressures on Americans’ budgets, it is critical that older adults and individuals with disabilities continue to have stable access to these cost protections that are only available in Medicare Advantage.”
MA Helps Diverse Populations Address Social Needs:
“Additionally, the program supports an increasingly diverse population with varied health and socioeconomic backgrounds. 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.”
“Today’s letter is another example of the strong bipartisan support Medicare Advantage receives,” said Matt Eyles, AHIP President and CEO. “Across the country—from Pennsylvania to California—millions of Americans depend on the affordable, high-quality care they receive through their MA plans. We’ll continue to work with Congress to improve MA and help more Americans live their fullest, healthiest lives.”
About AHIP
AHIP is the national association whose members provide health care coverage, services, and solutions to hundreds of millions of Americans every day. We are committed to market-based solutions and public-private partnerships that make health care better and coverage more affordable and accessible for everyone. Visit www.ahip.org to learn how working together, we are Guiding Greater Health.