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Ways and Means Committee For Immediate Release Lawmakers Work to Secure Medicare Choices WASHINGTON - In response to recent announcements by several health plans to withdraw from Medicare+Choice, lawmakers affirmed their commitment today to protect more than 500,000 seniors who are in danger of losing a plan they have chosen through Medicare."The current reimbursement formula fails to pay the true cost of health care. And when these low reimbursements are coupled with high regulatory hurdles, our seniors don’t get the health care they need or deserve," stated Ways and Means Chairman Bill Thomas (R-CA). "That must change. We are drafting legislation that would entice these plans back into the program so seniors have additional choices." "Many seniors enrolled in M+C plans don’t have access to coverage that supplements Medicare. They neither qualify for state programs, nor can afford Medigap coverage. And some simply suffer from diseases that require the kind of high quality management programs these plans offer," added Health Subcommittee Chair Nancy Johnson. "We are committed to working with interested Democrats to pass a bipartisan legislative initiative that strengthens and improves the Medicare+Choice program upon which so many of America’s seniors depend." Chairmen Thomas and Johnson have been working with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and Committee Republicans and Democrats to identify and correct problems with Medicare+Choice that prevent its widespread availability. On August 30, Chairmen Thomas and Johnson wrote CMS Administrator Tom Scully to outline legislation the Chairmen intend to introduce later this year. ( Scully Letter.)The legislation will address the inadequacies in the Medicare+Choice program by paying plans for the cost of providing health. Plans will know up front what they will be paid prior to deciding whether to remain in the program. Nearly 5.3 million seniors – 15 percent of all Medicare beneficiaries – are enrolled in Medicare+Choice plans this year. The deadline for deciding whether to stay in the Medicare program was Monday, when many plans announced their intention to withdraw from the program or dramatically increase premiums. The Medicare+Choice program provides comprehensive health services to enrollees, including a variety of services Medicare does not cover. For example, it covers a portion of deductibles and copayments, better preventive services, and some drug benefits. In addition, some plans provide sophisticated disease management programs unavailable under regular Medicare, which are of great help to seniors with chronic illnesses. |