ICYMI: BMA Leads Nearly 100 Organizations in Calling on CMS to Protect Seniors on Medicare Advantage

Washington, D.C.  – Better Medicare Alliance (BMA), the nation’s leading research and advocacy organization supporting Medicare Advantage, announced that nearly 100 BMA Ally organizations and other top health care leaders submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) supporting Medicare Advantage.

The letters of support in response to CMS’s recent request for information (RFI) come on the heels of BMA’s own comment letter outlining policy solutions to build on the affordability and quality of care in Medicare Advantage for more than 29 million beneficiaries. Read BMA Allies’ letters to CMS here.

Organizations writing in support of Medicare Advantage include:

Black Women’s Health Imperative: “Medicare Advantage is helping to advance health equity among seniors. By offering innovative benefits and services not available under Medicare Fee-for-Service, Medicare Advantage has become an important choice for Black women and their families.” 

National Association of Manufacturers: “Medicare Advantage is an important tool in providing aging employees and company retirees with the support and health care options they need. Employers have been able to utilize this health care model for retirees by offering what is known as Employer Group Waiver Plans. And some employees over 65 also take their Medicare options while being fully employed and having access to employer-sponsored plans. Medicare Advantage is attractive to employers and beneficiaries due to competitive choices and flexibility, with 94% of beneficiaries citing plan satisfaction.” 

National Hispanic Medical Association: “We strongly believe Medicare Advantage is a valuable pathway to advance health equity – a priority for our organization. More than half of Hispanic Medicare beneficiaries choose Medicare Advantage over Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS). That’s because these plans offer a better value for higher quality care. Black and Latino Medicare Advantage beneficiaries save an average of $1,270 and $1,113 per year, respectively, as compared to Medicare (FFS).”

America’s Physician Groups: “At its best, Medicare Advantage (MA) is a major force in the transition from volume to value, with some evidence suggesting that MA performance exceeds even that of alternative payment models in traditional Medicare that are transitioning away from fee-for-service payment.”

agilon health: “Because MA plans are pre-paid and retain substantial flexibility in downstream contracting with providers and partners, we have been able to work with plans to ensure a workable payment model, consistency across quality metrics, and supplemental benefits and community resources that help address patients’ total care needs. The full-risk, capitated nature of these arrangements allows us to reinvest in primary care in our communities by drawing more primary care physicians into the model, increasing connectivity to local emergency rooms and hospitals, and enhancing care team resources so that primary care teams can spend more time with complex patients.”

Georgia Chamber of Commerce: “We believe in the value provided by the Medicare Advantage Program and urge CMS to ensure all seniors and individuals with disabilities have access to affordable, quality care. By offering comprehensive services that go beyond what is available in Medicare Fee-for-Service, Medicare Advantage ensures beneficiaries have comprehensive, quality care, as well as assistance with wrap-around services like affordable housing, food, and transportation.”

Meals on Wheels of South Florida: “CMS should help ensure this program remains strong and grows to cater to the needs of its skyrocketing enrollment. There are more than 2.5 million seniors in the Sunshine State that rely on the program to access affordable and high-quality health care. You have the power and influence to protect this popular and vital program along with the organizations like ours that make a positive impact on the lives of millions of Americans.”

Nevada Hispanic Legislative Caucus: “Medicare Advantage is also working to address Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) by incorporating innovative and enhanced benefits into plan offerings. For example, by supporting affordable housing and providing meals and nutrition support. Medicare Advantage beneficiaries also have access to additional benefits not available in traditional Medicare, including dental, vision, and hearing, as well as fitness or wellness benefits”

Physicians of Southwest Washington: “Over 600,000 Washington seniors and retirees utilize Medicare Advantage, giving them access to high-quality, affordable health care that offers much-needed supplemental and preventative benefits. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, where Washington was an early epicenter of its spread, these benefits have made the difference between life and death for so many.”

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