Schumer Pushes Feds To Preserve Medicare Advantage Program That Provides 16 Million Seniors And Individuals With Disabilities With High Quality Health Plan Choices And Benefits

Press Release

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that he is pushing the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to preserve the high-quality health plan choices and benefits that 16 million constituents, including seniors and individuals with disabilities, receive through the Medicare Advantage (MA) program. This includes over 1 million enrollees in New York alone and represents approximately 30 percent of all Medicare beneficiaries. Schumer explained that regulatory changes that often impact the program's funding create disruption and confusion among beneficiaries who are looking for consistency in their health plan. Beneficiaries receive a range of innovative services, including preventive care, in-home health assessments, disease management services for those with chronic conditions, and coordinated care that provides a seamless delivery of health care services overall. Schumer, along with Senator Crapo, are leading a group of 53 Senators, the largest group ever, to urge CMS to minimize disruptions for beneficiaries enrolled in the MA program by maintaining payment levels and providing a stable policy environment for 2016.

"The seniors and individuals-with-disabilities who need health plan consistency the most should not have to worry that their Medicare Advantage plan will be disrupted come 2016. That is why I am pushing the federal government to preserve these high-quality health plans for those who need it most, and those who rely on its consistency and predictability. No senior or disabled person should have to think twice about visiting the doctor because their plan could be in flux," said Schumer. "I am urging CMS Administrator Tavenner to provide stability to the MA program and protect enrollees from disruptive changes in 2016 that could mean the difference between sickness and health."

Schumer explained that regulatory policy changes made year after year that affect the program's funding are creating disruption among beneficiaries who are looking for predictability. Schumer said this inconsistency can damage a program that offers value for beneficiaries if it is not stable through 2016. Schumer and this group of 53 senators said such disruptions threaten to impede health plans from driving the innovation that has resulted in better coordinated care and improved outcomes for beneficiaries who enroll in Medicare Advantage. These plans are particularly important for low-income beneficiaries who are financially vulnerable, as well as rural and minority populations who are seeing fewer plan choices.

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