Washington, DC – Today, the Coalition for Medicare Choices (CMC) announced that its membership has grown to two million seniors who are working to protect Medicare Advantage for millions of beneficiaries across the country. Bertha Shinn of Las Vegas is the two millionth member to join the CMC, marking a new milestone for the group as the most powerful and influential voice in support of Medicare Advantage beneficiaries.
Since 1999, millions of seniors have joined the CMC to protect their Medicare Advantage coverage from benefit cuts. Rep Joe Heck (R-NV), who serves as Shinn’s Congressional representative, recently honored her and the CMC’s long-standing efforts to protect seniors at an event in Nevada last week. For seniors, like Shinn, the continued support from policymakers is a reminder of power behind their personal experiences with the Medicare Advantage program.
“I am proud to be the two millionth member of the Coalition for Medicare Choices and to share my Medicare Advantage story. Medicare Advantage is essential to my health and well being. I applaud Congressman Heck and our other supporters in Washington for looking out for seniors with Medicare Advantage.”
To mark the enrollment milestone, CMC seniors across the country are lending their voices to say, “I am one of 2 million” members of the CMC. Thousands of members are already on the campaign trail with 2016 presidential candidates in South Carolina, Nevada, and Iowa to make sure the next President knows the importance of protecting Medicare Advantage for the millions who rely on the program.
This latest campaign effort builds on the Coalition’s year-round grassroots engagement with policymakers. This past August, Coalition members participated in a series of roundtable discussions with members of Congress across the country to share their personal experiences with Medicare Advantage while urging them to protect beneficiaries from coverage disruptions. As a result, strong bipartisan support for Medicare Advantage seniors continues to grow on Capitol Hill. This past spring, when the Medicare agency proposed changes to Medicare Advantage that would put seniors’ coverage at risk, a bipartisan group of 348 members of Congress stood up to protect their constituents who rely on the program. These voices join a broad array of partners working with the Coalition to protect seniors.
Nationwide, nearly 17 million Americans choose Medicare Advantage because of the better services, higher-quality care, and added benefits these health care plans provide. Visit www.MedicareChoices.org to learn more and follow the Coalition on Facebook and Twitter.