What cuts to Medicare Advantage really mean

To the Editor;

It isn’t easy caring for a loved one when access to affordable health care isn’t always guaranteed. That’s what makes the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposed rates for Medicare Advantage next year such a big concern for patients and caregivers. Unless our leaders in Washington push back against these rates, patients like my aging parents will feel the impact next year and it won’t be good.

I was in Washington, D.C. just a few weeks ago to talk about this issue with U.S. Sen. Susan Collins and members of Maine’s congressional delegation. We shared our disappointment with CMS’ current proposal that would increase rates paid to Medicare Advantage by just 0.09% in 2027. This is coming at a time when health care costs are rising at around 7% according to CMS’ own data. 

We all know what cuts to Medicare Advantage really mean. They mean fewer benefits and higher costs for seniors and patients with disabilities. They also mean more families and caregivers stretched even thinner than we already are. That’s something policymakers need to consider before they finalize these rates, which is supposed to happen in April.

Maine’s leaders in Washington, including U.S. Sens. Collins and Angus King and U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, should work with CMS and the administration to improve upon the proposed rate increase for Medicare Advantage next year. Otherwise, Maine’s seniors, along with their networks of friends, families, and caregivers, will suffer. The stakes are too high not to get this right.

Carroll Conley

Glenburn