The following action is adapted from Indivisible national:
More than 62 million people across the country rely on Medicare for their health care, and nearly half of those recipients are enrolled in Medicare Advantage, an alternative to traditional Medicare coverage for seniors through private health insurance companies1. Funds from the traditional Medicare trust are used to pay the health insurance companies offering Medicare Advantage plans — and because these companies are private, their focus is ultimately on their bottom line.
Over time, Medicare Advantage companies have committed widespread fraud, put patients’ care and lives in peril by denying their claims, and threatened the solvency of Medicare. It’s time for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to step up and stop the swindling.
The federal government is considering an important rule change that would allow CMS to better regulate these companies and is soliciting the public to leave formal comments about this proposed change by Friday, January 5, 2024. By sending in a flood of comments calling on CMS to do everything in its power to stand up for America’s seniors and rein in the Medicare Advantage fraudsters, we can show the government that this issue matters.
If you believe that people should not have to worry about being ripped off while seeking health care, we need you to submit your comment today: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/11/15/2023-24118/medicare-program-contract-year-2025-policy-and-technical-changes-to-the-medicare-advantage-program
More about submitting a comment:
1. First, go to the Federal Register’s website (link above), and click on the green box labeled “Submit a formal comment” on the right side of the page.
2. Next, draft your comment in the text box. Keep in mind that the most impactful comment will be personal, so be sure to note if you or your loved ones are on or will soon be on Medicare. You can also share details specific to your state or community. Speaking from personal experience and concerns makes for an effective comment. (And if you need talking points and additional guidance on how to draft your comment, check out this resource from Indivisible OneNYS: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hPdkJEwU9Nra6KyDVSsgT9WKEF8HWp9g0rDEclG_ivA/edit)
3. For the question “What is your comment about?”, choose “Private Industry – Health care” from the drop-down menu.
4. Enter your email address.
5. For the question “Tell us about yourself! I am…”, select “An Individual” with the megaphone icon.
6. Finally, scroll down to fill in your contact information and submit your comment.
Background: https://thehill.com/homenews/4297810-new-rule-proposed-imposing-tougher-regulations-medicare-advantage/
