The Current Status of and Quality in the Medicare Advantage Program
STATEMENT FOR THE RECORD
Submitted to the
Committee on Ways and Means
Subcommittee on Health
U.S. House of Representatives
Better Medicare Alliance (BMA) is a broad alliance of 100+ organizations, including doctors and other professional health care providers, hospitals, health systems, aging service agencies, business groups, retiree organizations, health plans, as well as beneficiaries. Collectively, we support and advocate for Medicare Advantage—also known as Medicare Part C—and the innovative, quality care it delivers. BMA works to ensure the Medicare Advantage program is stable, accessible, high-quality, cost-effective, and financially viable through the ongoing support of policymakers. We achieve these goals through information, research, education, commentary on policy, and advocacy.
We appreciate the Subcommittee’s interest in Medicare Advantage, and we welcome the opportunity to comment on the current status of and quality in the Medicare Advantage program. Policymakers, beneficiaries, the health care stakeholder community, and taxpayers together have a vested interest in ensuring that Medicare Advantage continues to offer innovative, integrated and coordinated care delivery, improved health outcomes, cost effective care, and provider payment models that reward value over volume.
BMA thanks Congress for all their recent actions that serve to preserve the affordability of Medicare Advantage and enhance health plans’ ability to deliver early interventions, care management, and patient engagement to improve outcomes for all beneficiaries, especially for those individuals living with chronic conditions. We further appreciate the Subcommittee’s support for Medicare Advantage, including those who joined the more than 360 Representatives and Senators from both sides of the aisle who signed letters earlier this year to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in support of Medicare Advantage. Such a strong collection of lawmakers’ voices—from both Republicans and Democrats—is a testament to how Medicare Advantage is leading the way in meeting the unique health care needs of America’s seniors and individuals with disabilities.