1. United States
2. Ariz.
3. Letter

I'm asking you to oppose any policy that would automatically enroll Medicare beneficiaries into Medicare Advantage plans or accountable care organizations. This proposal from CMS director Chris Klomp is a giveaway to insurance companies at the expense of seniors and taxpayers. The numbers tell the story. The federal government will pay $76 billion more this year for people in Medicare Advantage compared to traditional Medicare, according to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission. That's because insurers game the system by making members appear sicker than they are, while Medicare Advantage enrollees tend to be healthier and need less care. Jeannie Fuglesten Biniek at KFF confirmed this change "would increase spending, increase costs to taxpayers and the premiums that beneficiaries pay." This is exactly what the insurance industry wants after Medicare cracked down on their ability to inflate diagnoses and profits. UnitedHealth Group, Humana, and CVS Health's Aetna stand to gain billions while seniors lose the freedom to choose traditional Medicare. Dual-eligible individuals in some states are already auto-enrolled and struggle to opt out because instructions from private insurers look like junk mail. Medicare beneficiaries deserve the right to actively choose their coverage, not be defaulted into private insurance plans that prioritize profits over care. Block this proposal.