Better Medicare Alliance Helps Set New Record for Bipartisan Congressional Support of Medicare Advantage

UPDATE: After publication of this release, lawmakers added an additional co-signer on the House of Representatives’ letter to CMS, bringing the total number of co-signers on the House letter to 339 and the total number of signers overall to 403.  See the updated House letter HERE. The Senate letter, which remains unchanged, can be viewed HERE.

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Washington, D.C. – Better Medicare Alliance, an advocacy and research organization supporting Medicare Advantage, applauded the record-setting bipartisan support for Medicare Advantage in Congress, as expressed through annual letters sent to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) prior to the Advance Rate Notice and Call Letter.

The two separate letters were signed by 338 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives and 64 Members of the U.S. Senate – reaching an all-time high of 402 signers, or 75 percent of Congress. The House and Senate letters urge CMS to provide “the incentives and flexibility to offer affordable, patient-centered options” for plan year 2021.

“Medicare Advantage continues to set new records in enrollment, consumer satisfaction and, now, Congressional support,” said Allyson Y. Schwartz, President and CEO of the Better Medicare Alliance. “It is a testament to the unique value of MA and the advocacy work of Better Medicare Alliance and other stakeholders that, even in such polarizing times, Members of Congress came together in unprecedented numbers to show bipartisan support for policies that protect and strengthen Medicare Advantage.”

Schwartz continued, “With these letters, lawmakers made clear that, in the midst of much debate on the future of health care, they are standing up for Medicare Advantage’s quality, benefits, and lower costs provided to their constituents. On behalf of our ally organizations and grassroots beneficiary advocates, we applaud these 402 Members of Congress – particularly Sens. Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Tony Cárdenas (D-CA), Brett Guthrie (R-KY), and Mike Kelly (R-PA) – for their leadership in supporting MA.”

The 402 total co-signers on these letters to CMS marks a nearly 10% increase from last year’s record of 368 co-signers. Co-signers were both Republicans and Democrats in nearly equal numbers.

Read the House letter HERE.

Read the Senate letter HERE.

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