Coalition Members Virtually Meet with Representative Annie Kuster

7 members of the Coalition for Medicare Choices (CMC) recently met virtually with Representative Annie Kuster to thank her for being a Medicare Advantage champion. They also shared with Representative Kuster how Medicare Advantage offers them better services, better access to care, and better value. 

Coalition member Lisabritt told Representative Kuster that her organization fights for people who are disabled, many of whom rely on a Medicare Advantage plan. She says, “Medicare Advantage is a wonderful program that is truly making a difference in the lives of the people we help every day. Any reduction or failure to protect and strengthen MA would be heartbreaking and have devastating consequences that would reverberate through the disabled community.” 

Coalition member Roger shared that he supports Medicare Advantage because it provides Americans 65+ with options when it comes to picking a health care plan that best suits them. He reminded the group that having options, and not a one-size-fits-all plan is vital and spoke about the importance of health care plans that offer additional benefits, including visions and dental, rolled into 1 plan. 

Coalition members Peter and Christy told Representative Kuster that they used to have traditional Medicare, but after switching to Medicare Advantage they noticed that their value of care has gone up while their costs have gone down. This was echoed by Coalition member Linda who also noticed a great deal of savings after switching from traditional Medicare to Medicare Advantage. 

Coalition member Joan reiterated the others’ remarks about the low costs by telling the group about a previous surgery. Not only were her out-of-pocket costs low, but her Medicare Advantage plan also covered the cost of the supplies she’s needed post-surgery.  

Representative Kuster expressed strong support for Medicare Advantage, telling the group, “Medicare Advantage has always been an important program to me.” She also expressed support for telehealth, saying, “I support telehealth – telehealth services have really been a lifeline for so many throughout this pandemic. We can’t get hung up on the important role telehealth has played during the pandemic and forget that it is still needed long after COVID has left us. Access to doctors, medical professionals, and even substance and mental health professionals is key to delivering consistent and quality care.” 

The CMC is grateful to Representative Kuster for meeting with our Coalition members and listening to their stories on how Medicare Advantage supports New Hampshirites. We also thank her for her strong support of Medicare Advantage.