More Than 65 Organizations Representing Beneficiaries Urge CMS to Maintain Stability in Medicare Advantage Program
New stakeholder letter calls on CMS to protect the more than 31 million seniors and people with disabilities who depend on Medicare Advantage as the Agency considers further regulatory action
WASHINGTON – Better Medicare Alliance (BMA), the nation’s leading research and advocacy organization supporting Medicare Advantage, and 65 health care organizations, including community-based organizations, providers, health plans, aging service organizations, and beneficiary advocates at the national and state level, today sent a stakeholder letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) urging the Administration to consider policies that promote stability and support a strong, sustainable Medicare Advantage program for the more than 31 million seniors and people with disabilities who rely on it. The stakeholder letter comes ahead of the advance notice announcement.
“These organizations represent Medicare Advantage beneficiaries and work every day to strengthen the program on their behalf; their call for stability in the Medicare Advantage program should be heard,” said Mary Beth Donahue, President and CEO of the Better Medicare Alliance. “They are on the front lines, responding to the needs of beneficiaries, and their engagement is absolutely critical to the policymaking process.”
The perspective shared by these organizations comes at a critical time as implementation proceeds on a number of policy changes to the Medicare Advantage program enacted by CMS and the Biden Administration in the last 24 months.
“We want to emphasize the need for stability and further understanding the impact recent changes have on beneficiaries to ensure successful implementation and minimal disruption to beneficiaries in receiving care,” the organizations wrote to CMS.
Medicare Advantage currently serves 51 percent of the Medicare population and covers an increasingly diverse population, with the largest increases in enrollment among historically underserved populations. On average, beneficiaries enrolled in the program save more than $2,400 annually on premiums and out-of-pocket costs compared to beneficiaries in fee-for-service Medicare.
A copy of the letter co-signed by 66 organizations can be found HERE. A full list of organizations signing the letter is below.
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.
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Better Medicare Alliance
Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islanders Nevada Legislative Caucus
Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
agilon health
Aligning for Health
Alliance for Connected Care
American Medical Group Association
American Muslim Health Professionals
American Telemedicine Association
ATAAction
America’s Physician Groups
Arizona Association of Nurse Anesthesiology
Arizona Nurses Association
Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum
Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness
Austin Regional Clinic (TX)
Coalition of Texans with Disabilities
Commonwealth Care Alliance
El Paso Health (TX)
Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association
Global Link International
Granite YMCA (NH)
Greater Philadelphia Business Coalition on Health (PA)
Health Care Transformation Task Force
Healthcare Leadership Council
HealthCAWS—Combining Accountability with Support
International Council on Active Aging
Lakes Region Mental Health Center (NH)
Matrix Medical Network
Meals on Wheels America
Meals on Wheels of Hillsborough County (NH)
Meals on Wheels South Florida
Moving Health Home
National Alliance on Mental Illness—Philadelphia (PA)
National Adult Day Services Association
National Association of Dental Plans
National Association of Hispanic Nurses
National Athletic Trainers’ Association
National Hispanic Council on Aging
National Hispanic Medical Association
National Patient Advocate Foundation
Network for Excellence in Health Innovation (NEHI)
Nevada Latin Chamber of Commerce
Nevada Latino Legislative Caucus
New Jersey State Nurses Association
Northwell Health (NY)
Partners in Care Foundation
Pennsylvania Association of Area Agencies on Aging
Pennsylvania Association of School Retirees
Philadelphia Corporation for Aging (PA)
Population Health Alliance
Prevea Health (WI)
Prominence Health Plan
Public Sector HealthCare Roundtable
Senior Helpers of Tempe (AZ)
SilverSneakers by Tivity Health
SNP Alliance
Summa Health (OH)
Teachers’ Retirement System of the State of Kentucky
The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia (PA)
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
UPMC Health Plan (PA)
USAging
Vancouver Clinic (WA)
VillageMD
VNS Health (NY)
YMCA of the USA