Stefanik Advocates for Medicare Advantage Program Servicing Over 2 Million New Yorkers

Letter

Dear Administrator Brooks-LaSure:

We write on behalf of over 33 million Americans and more than 2 million New Yorkers to express our support
for the Medicare Advantage program and ask the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to bring
stability to seniors in 2025 through a rate environment in the Calendar Year 2025 Final Rate Notice that
accounts for increases in utilization and rising inflation.

Medicare Advantage continues to grow in New York state with over 50 percent of New Yorkers eligible for
Medicare currently enrolled in the program. Medicare Advantage’s popularity is built on the foundation of its
enrollees consistently receiving high-quality care with superior health outcomes. In addition, Medicare
Advantage saves beneficiaries, on average, $2,400 annually in out-of-pocket expenses, compared to traditional
Medicare. For the majority of enrollees who live on less than $25,000 a year, Medicare Advantage provides a
savings of nearly 10 percent of their total income.

CMS’s projections for growth and utilization trends are inconsistent with the experience of providers, utilization
patterns of beneficiaries and inflation. A survey shows that 90 percent of providers are seeing an increased
demand in utilization of health services. External sources including the Congressional Budget Office and
CMS’s own Office of the Actuary report higher growth estimates. It is critically important that the final rates
reflect the most recent available data with respect to utilization and costs.

As such, we ask that the Administration ensure that the 2025 Medicare Advantage Final Rate Notice accurately
reflects increases in health care utilization and costs to give Medicare Advantage seniors the peace of mind that
the high-quality, affordable care and additional benefits they rely on in Medicare Advantage will be around for
years to come. Further, we expect that the final rates are published with transparent processes that clearly
demonstrate how such rates were calculated, including the utilization, cost, and other inputs used in such
calculations.

Sincerely,

Source