Letter: Medicare Advantage programs are crucial to underserved Georgians
This letter was submitted by Georgia House Rep. Carl Gilliard (D-Garden City), who is the Chairman of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus (GLBC).
As Georgia legislators continue working to ensure access to health care for minority and rural communities, we need the continued support of our representatives in Washington to support the Medicare Advantage (MA) program. MA plans are incredibly beneficial for those who are underserved by traditional Medicare or other healthcare plans. They provide high-quality plans with affordable monthly premium payments – the average 2023 premium is $18, which is a 16-year low. According to a report by Better Medicare Alliance, MA beneficiaries pay $2,400 – or 44% less than traditional Medicare beneficiaries – in out-of-pocket costs and premiums each year.
As of this past March, there were 993,000 Georgians enrolled in Medicare Advantage. In Chatham County, 50% of Medicare-eligible residents are enrolled in Medicare Advantage. These robust enrollment numbers are expected to increase as the MA program is continuing to experience explosive growth in Georgia and nationwide. Not only do we see a higher percentage of racial and ethnic minorities enrolling in Medicare Advantage, but 52% of MA beneficiaries have annual incomes around $25,000, or below 200% of the federal poverty level, compared to only 36% of traditional Medicare enrollees.
While there has been criticisms of MA plans around prior authorization, which advocates of MA have been asking Congress to streamline and improve, MA remains the choice of coverage for 50% of the seniors in Chatham County and indeed around the state of Georgia.
Medicare Advantage continues to reach underprivileged communities with a wide variety of plans. Medicare Advantage plans can offer supplemental benefits such as dental or vision care, and 97% of plans offer telehealth benefits, which are crucial for rural Georgians who live far away from their nearest provider.
Medicare-eligible beneficiaries are speaking up in large numbers by continuing to choose Medicare Advantage over traditional Medicare, and Congress should listen by supporting this immensely popular program and bolstering the future of affordable health care.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Rep Gilliard: Medicare Advantage is crucial to underserved Georgians
