U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa, along with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Sens. Mike Crapo of Idaho, Pat Roberts of Kansas, John Cornyn of Texas, John Thune of South Dakota, Richard Burr of North Carolina, Johnny Isakson of Georgia, Rob Portman of Ohio, Tim Scott of South Carolina, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, James Lankford of Oklahoma, Steve Daines of Montana and Todd Young of Indiana, sent a letter to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma on Friday regarding the agency’s upcoming release of proposed program changes to Medicare Advantage in 2020.
The letter commends the Trump administration for its actions to support Medicare Advantage through policies that create a stable environment for the nearly 22 million Americans currently enrolled in the program, while urging a cautious approach on a few specific complex policy areas. It also highlights the success of the program’s use of private health insurance plans while warning against a government-run “Medicare for None” system.
“The Medicare Advantage program is anticipated to continue its steady growth, with enrollment projected to reach 38 million, accounting for 50 percent of those eligible, by 2025,” the senators wrote.
“A thriving Medicare Advantage program reinforces the approach of using private entities to deliver Medicare benefits to beneficiaries. The private-sector approach is further validated by experience in Medicare Part D, where beneficiaries have choice of prescription drug plans and a high-level of satisfaction. We look forward to working with the Administration to build on these successes—by strengthening Medicare Advantage and vigorously opposing efforts to: expand the role of the federal government; disrupt Medicare, particularly Medicare Advantage, for beneficiaries who rely on the program today; and eliminate private insurance.”
The letter is available here.
