Clyburn Touts Medicare Advantage Savings For America's Seniors

Press Release

House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn (D-SC) today released the following statement after reports that Medicare Advantage (MA) program is reducing costs for beneficiaries. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released the number and availability of MA and Medicare Part D plans, and premium and cost sharing levels for each program in their 2011 landscape. According to CMS, Medicare Advantage premiums will decrease by one percent on average in 2011, and the Affordable Care Act will help beneficiaries save $150 million in out-of-pocket expenses.

"This is great news for millions of America's seniors. The improvements to the Medicare Advantage program included in the health care reform bill approved earlier this year are already helping our nation's seniors save money on their medical bills. Seniors have received assistance with prescription drug costs this year, and next year they will save on, prescription drugs, out-of-pocket expenses and premiums.

"Republicans repeatedly stood with the insurance companies, voting against these common sense reforms, and have made it abundantly clear that they intend to repeal the health reform and the benefits that go along with it including the patient's bill of rights and other provisions that have already helped millions of Americans."

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