Event Recap: “Medicare Advantage: Enrollment & Demographic Trends”

Better Medicare Alliance (BMA) hosted a briefing for Congressional staff on Thursday, July 11, 2019.  The event, titled Medicare Advantage: Enrollment & Demographic Trends, unveiled new data showing the critical role Medicare Advantage plays in shielding beneficiaries from high out-of-pocket costs. Findings also showed that Medicare Advantage serves an increasingly diverse population with complex care needs.

Anne Tumlinson, CEO at Anne Tumlinson Innovations, was the keynote speaker and presented findings from her new report sponsored by BMA, entitled Medicare Advantage Provides Key Financial Protections to Low and Modest Income Populations.

Two of BMA’s Medicare Advantage Champions in Congress addressed the attendees, highlighted the value of Medicare Advantage to their constituents, and emphasized the importance of continued bipartisan support for Medicare Advantage.  Representatives Tony Cárdenas (D-CA) and Jimmy Gomez (D-CA) stressed the importance of improving understanding of Medicare choices and increasing access to high-quality care offered by Medicare Advantage. “Seniors deserve the dignity of knowing they can see the doctor when they need to.  That’s the dignity of Medicare Advantage.  This is an example of what Medicare should be about,” noted Representative Cárdenas as he urged Congressional staff to learn more about Medicare Advantage.

The briefing included a panel discussion moderated by BMA President & CEO, Congresswoman Allyson Y. Schwartz. The panelists were the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging’s Director of Public Policy and Advocacy, Autumn Campbell, at the, National Minority Quality Forum’s President & CEO Gary Puckrein, Ph.D., and Meals on Wheels America’s Chief Strategy and Impact Officer, Lucy Theilheimer.

To view a recording of the briefing please click here.

Find State and Congressional District enrollment data here.

A 1-pager on How Medicare Advantage Works is here.

Research on the Social Determinants of Health is here.

The report by Anne Tumlinson on Financial Protections to Low and Modest Income Populations Under Medicare Advantage is here.