To Congress: Vote to strengthen Medicare Advantage

Chris Herstam

Submitted photo/Chris Herstam

Medicare Advantage is a critical component of our health care system. It provides low-cost, comprehensive health coverage for more than 34 million seniors and patients with disabilities nationwide, including hundreds of thousands of Arizonans.

As a former state lawmaker, former director of the Arizona Department of Insurance and current Medicare Advantage beneficiary, I’m calling Arizona’s on congressional leaders to protect and strengthen this critical program.

In recent years, Medicare Advantage was targeted with funding cuts that put the program in jeopardy. These cuts were shown to weaken benefits and increase costs for beneficiaries. Now, history is repeating itself as some in Congress are pushing a bill called the No UPCODE Act. If passed, this bill would target vital in-home assessments and programs that help keep Arizona seniors healthier and more independent.

Losing access to the benefits provided by Medicare Advantage would jeopardize seniors’ health and safety. It could also shift care into more expensive settings like hospitals and emergency rooms, increasing costs for both beneficiaries, as well as taxpayers.

I encourage Arizona’s congressional delegation to oppose this legislation. Federal lawmakers should work to strengthen Medicare Advantage instead of undercutting it. As enrollment continues to increase, with more than half of the Medicare-eligible population choosing Medicare Advantage, it’s important that we keep this program on stable footing. By all means, fix what’s broken in our health care system, but Medicare Advantage is working just fine.

Editor’s note: Chris Herstam served in the Arizona House from 1983 to 1990 and as director of the Arizona Department of Insurance from 1993 to 1996. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.