Better Medicare Alliance Responds to 2023 Medicare Advantage Advance Notice
Coalition says Advance Notice “protects overage choices, advances health equity, and preserves affordability for beneficiaries”
Washington, D.C. – Better Medicare Alliance, the nation’s leading research and advocacy organization supporting Medicare Advantage, responded to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) 2023 Medicare Advantage Advance Notice.
“As we continue to review the Advance Notice in further detail, we appreciate that CMS has offered a thoughtful proposal that will help ensure stability for the millions of diverse seniors and individuals with disabilities who count on Medicare Advantage. The proposal additionally furthers our shared goal of improving health equity, recognizing progress made and more that needs to be done,” said Mary Beth Donahue, President and CEO of the Better Medicare Alliance. “Medicare Advantage has proven its worth for seniors and taxpayers; providing lower costs, meaningful benefits that address social determinants of health, better outcomes, and greater efficiencies for the Medicare dollar. A stable rate for 2023 ensures this work can continue. On behalf of our 170 Ally organizations and over 600,000 beneficiary advocates, we applaud CMS for putting seniors first by issuing an Advance Notice that protects coverage choices, advances health equity, and preserves affordability for beneficiaries.”
CMS’ Advance Notice follows a recent Congressional letter in which a record-setting 346 bipartisan Members of Congress declared support for Medicare Advantage and urged the agency “to provide a stable rate and policy environment” for the program in 2023.
The Medicare Advantage difference:
- A December 2021 Morning Consult poll shows 94% of Medicare Advantage beneficiaries are satisfied with their coverage, while 93% believe that protecting MA should be a priority of the Biden administration.
- Medicare Advantage beneficiaries save an average of $1,640 a year on total health care costs, as compared to FFS Medicare.
- 53% of Latino Medicare beneficiaries and 49% of Black Medicare beneficiaries choose Medicare Advantage. Minority enrollment in MA has grown by 111% since 2013.
- Medicare Advantage beneficiaries see a 43% lower rate of avoidable hospitalizations for any condition than FFS Medicare, and a 5% lower rate of all-cause readmissions.
- More than 90% of individual Medicare Advantage plans provide access to vision, fitness, telehealth, hearing, or dental benefits, while more than two-thirds of plans provide a meal benefit and nearly 40% provide transportation benefits.
###