Letter: We can’t let Congress cut Medicare Advantage

Originally published in the Augusta Free Press 

As we all celebrate the holiday season and look forward a new year, there is much for which to be thankful.

As a retired resident of the least populated and one of most rural counties in the commonwealth, healthcare it is at the top of my Thankful For List.

Because of the Medicare Advantage Plan, I have been able to keep my preferred medical professionals since retirement and am very happy with the zero cost per month for the plan. For most of us rural citizens with very limited access to nearby medical facilities, the access to healthcare providers via phone and internet the program provides can literally be a lifesaver.

Medicare Advantage is an amazing program that has that most rare of qualities these days, bipartisan support in Congress. It can be difficult to find something that elected officials on both sides of the aisle can agree on, but Medicare Advantage so effectively provides the services it advertises that there is really no question why Democrats and Republicans alike would support the program.

Despite the great success Medicare Advantage has had, there are still some members of Congress discussing funding cuts to the program. These last-minute year-end actions should not be conducted in haste.

Should Medicare Advantage face funding cuts, nearly 30,000 seniors here in Virginia could see the affordability of their coverage threatened. As a Medicare Advantage beneficiary and knowing others who depend on this program; seniors who rely on the low co-pays and reduced fees of Medicare Advantage plans are not equipped for a rise in premiums or additional costs.

Tate Dunn resides in Monterey.