Paulsen spearheads effort to urge strengthening of Medicare Advantage program

U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-MN) recently teamed up with a bipartisan group of colleagues in spearheading a show of solidarity among 298 members of the U.S. House of Representatives for the Medicare Advantage program, which faces proposed federal updates.

Medicare Advantage currently provides an affordable, high-quality health care option for almost 19 million senior citizens and persons with disabilities that includes care coordination, disease management programs, access to community-based programs, and added supplemental benefits such as vision and dental coverage, according to a Feb. 1 letter the House lawmakers wrote to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma.

“With over 90 percent of beneficiaries reporting high satisfaction with Medicare Advantage, we encourage the Administration to further strengthen and enhance the Medicare Advantage program,” wrote Reps. Paulsen, Brett Guthrie (R-KY), Tony Cárdenas (D-CA), and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) in the letter that was signed by 298 House members.

The lawmakers’ letter coincides with the Feb. 1 CMS proposed changes to Medicare health and drug programs that the agency says will provide more options, additional benefits and “will result in a payment increase that promotes stability and insures that resources will be available to support beneficiaries enrolled in private Medicare plans.”

The House members urged CMS “to ensure that any changes that could significantly impact the program are proposed and considered in a manner that ensures comprehensive stakeholder engagement, robust transparency, and sufficient time for thorough evaluation.”

Such an approach, the lawmakers wrote, “will best ensure our constituents continue to have access to innovative, high-quality Medicare Advantage plans.”

And as 10,000 more senior citizens become eligible for Medicare every day, the lawmakers wrote that continuing to maintain the program’s offerings is vital.

“As the Administration looks at updates to Medicare Advantage for 2019, the program is well positioned to help improve the overall Medicare program by offering high-quality, efficient, patient-centered coverage options for beneficiaries,” the lawmakers wrote. They cited programs that benefit seniors, including individually targeted programs such as those to prevent falls, in-home nursing care, and transportation to primary care doctor visits.