Better Medicare Alliance Urges Trump Administration to Protect Medicare for America’s Seniors with Stronger 2026 Final Rate Notice
WASHINGTON —Better Medicare Alliance (BMA) on Monday submitted its official comment letter regarding the 2026 Medicare Advantage and Part D Advance Notice, urging the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to issue a final rate that ensures stability for more than 34 million Medicare Advantage beneficiaries.
“Seniors cannot absorb more plan closures, further cost increases, or more benefit reductions — but that is exactly what they will face without adequate funding for Medicare Advantage,” said Mary Beth Donahue, President and CEO of Better Medicare Alliance. “With a strong final rate notice, President Trump can keep his promise to seniors and protect Medicare Advantage, the Medicare program of choice for more than half of beneficiaries.”
In its formal comment letter, BMA highlighted compounding challenges facing Medicare Advantage beneficiaries and plans, including:
- Medical costs significantly outpacing CMS’s proposed payment benchmarks, according to independent analyses from Milliman and PwC
- Previous years’ cuts manifesting in the form of reduced benefits and increased costs for seniors
- The threat of further program instability should CMS implement the remaining 48% of indirect medical education (IME) cost reductions in a single year, as proposed
“Today, more than half of Medicare-eligible beneficiaries choose Medicare Advantage for better care at a lower cost than Fee-For-Service Medicare,” said Dr. Elena Rios, Board Chair for Better Medicare Alliance and President of the National Hispanic Health Foundation. “We join those calling for a strong final rate notice that protects Medicare Advantage for all beneficiaries who depend on this vital program.”
BMA’s recommendations include:
- Immediate revision of the 2026 growth rate to reflect updated medical cost trends
- Spreading remaining IME adjustments over 2026-2027 to minimize disruption
- Reevaluate Fee-for-Service normalization factor methodology adopted for 2025 and further monitor the two factors for the RxHCC model to better understand beneficiary impact
Read the full comment letter HERE.
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Better Medicare Alliance is a community of more than one million grassroots beneficiaries and 200+ ally organizations working to improve health care through a strong Medicare Advantage. Learn more at www.bettermedicarealliance.org.