Letter: Medicare Advantage Needs Congressional Support

Originally published in The Capital Times

As a senior citizen that switched to a Medicare Advantage program a few years ago, I can understand why over a half-million seniors in Wisconsin trust their health care to these comprehensive plans. As these numbers grow annually in our state, we must continue to ask our members of Congress to support this invaluable program.

With low or no premiums, and coverage that goes above and beyond that of original Medicare by providing integrated vision, dental and hearing, Advantage plans offer seniors like me a way to stay healthy and also watch our pocketbooks. In fact, one of the main reasons I switched was because unlike original Medicare, Medicare Advantage plans have annual out-of-pocket maximums that seniors like me can use to help us budget and live comfortably on a fixed income. This is in addition to additional benefits many of us count on, including in-home caregiver support, telehealth services and gym memberships.

While we seniors may like our Medicare Advantage plans, we need to make our voices heard. We must let our members of Congress know how much we value our Advantage plans and how we expect them to support and protect the Medicare Advantage program.

Arlene Kessler

Oconomowoc