Over 33 million seniors, more than half of all Medicare beneficiaries, choose Medicare Advantage (MA). Those on it say it delivers better value, better benefits, and more peace of mind. Many of those on the program are Trump voters in states like Florida, Texas, and the Midwest, where Medicare Advantage enrollment is the highest. These are real people who rely on their MA plans to manage chronic illness, avoid surprise bills, and get care close to home.
However, despite this success, unelected bureaucrats in Washington continue to use outdated tools to measure and evaluate the program. And the consequences are severe.
Florida Congressional Rep. Aaron Bean’s Apples-to-Apples Comparison Act (H.R. 4093) proposal would provide Congress and the public with the tools to fairly and accurately compare Medicare Advantage to original Medicare, using real data rather than biased assumptions.
Currently, groups like MedPAC, the congressional agency that advises on Medicare policy, often compare apples to oranges. They use outdated data sets, include people in original Medicare who aren’t even eligible for MA, and overlook the many supplemental benefits MA offers to address issues such as transportation to medical care, nutrition, dental, hearing, and vision. The result is skewed reports that paint MA in an unfair light.
That hasn’t stopped the far left from seizing on these flawed reports to push their own agenda. Senator Elizabeth Warren, a vocal advocate for single-payer government-controlled health care, has used MedPAC’s incomplete analysis to attack MA. She’s claimed the program is riddled with waste and overpayments, even though millions of low-income and minority seniors rely on MA plans every day. The reality is, MA enrolls more Americans who are dually enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid, with some of the nation’s most complex health needs, than traditional Medicare. But you wouldn’t know that from reading MedPAC’s one-sided reports.
Rep. Bean, a strong conservative from Florida, is taking an innovative, fact-based approach. His bill would require the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to publish detailed spending and enrollment data by region and plan type. It would also force MedPAC to clean up their methods, using only people eligible for both programs in their comparisons, factoring in MA’s value, and opening up their work to public review.
“This isn’t about politics, it’s about truth and fairness,” said Congressman Bean.
Supporters of Medicare Advantage argue that the program is a successful, market-driven option that seniors prefer and that taxpayers can afford. Advocates of Rep. Bean’s bill say this is the right move at the right time, and he should be applauded for standing up to protect seniors’ hard-earned benefits. It ensures any changes to Medicare are made with eyes wide open.
