Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-Westlake Village) welcomed the announcement yesterday that the administration will not cut Medicare Advantage rates in 2015. A strong supporter of protecting senior’s access to healthcare, Congresswoman Brownley recently wrote to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, urging the administration to stop proposed cuts to Medicare Advantage.
“I am glad the President listened to my concerns and acted accordingly to protect seniors’ access to quality, affordable care,” said Congresswoman Brownley. “Nearly 1 in 3 seniors in Ventura County use Medicare Advantage, so keeping it affordable for my constituents is a matter of utmost importance to me.”
Medicare Advantage plans are private plans whose providers contract with the government to provide seniors with their Medicare benefits. Instead of a 1.9 percent cut in 2015, doctors will receive a modest increase of 0.4 percent. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) also dropped a provision that would have excluded diagnoses made in home health assessments from coverage. Ensuring that in-home assessments remain covered helps seniors who may have difficulty visiting a clinic or hospital get quick access to the care and services they need.
The full text of Congresswoman Brownley’s letter to Secretary Sebelius can be found here.
Issues: 113th Congress, Healthcare, Seniors' Issues