On July 22, the Joint Health and Oversight Subcommittee convened for a hearing on Medicare Advantage (MA) to discuss the program's past and present.

In his opening statement, the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Chairman Vern Buchanan (R-FL) said, “Transparency is crucial for maintaining trust in the system and ensuring efficient use of taxpayer dollars. I believe we can protect the integrity of MA while ensuring it remains a strong option for beneficiaries.”

“Patients in my district have gravitated towards MA plans because of their affordability and supplemental benefits they provide. The time and effort it takes to travel to a doctor is a key factor for many patients when deciding what type of plan to enroll in, so MA plans have become increasingly popular among patients that need transportation benefits," Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV) said. “Across the country, rural hospitals and healthcare providers report experiencing lower reimbursements from MA plans. This has led some providers to leave MA networks which then creates coverage gaps in rural areas.”

Dr. David Basel, Vice President of Health Clinical Quality and Population Health Officer at Avera Health, remarked that “It is difficult for us to expand into a lot of our counties because we can't get the specialty access that it requires to be able to even offer MA plans in a lot of our rural counties.” “I’m a clinical informaticist as well and we always talk about making the right thing to do the easy thing to do. And right now we are not doing that effectively. So, if you can do that to remove a lot of the administrative burden, that is where I think we're going to make progress.”

Families USA urged Congress to promote transparency, rein in wasteful spending, and curb harmful insurer practices. “For too long, distortions in the MA payment system have allowed deceptive and predatory business practices that have driven low-value care for patients, as well as wasteful spending for the federal government,” Families USA stated.

“The real test is this: what does life look like for older adults with these plans, and what does it look like without them? For too many older adults, it means the difference between stability and insecurity; prevention and crisis; dignity and decline,” said Dr. Sachin H. Jain, CEO of SCAN Group and SCAN Health Plan, during his testimony. CBS4 reported that Dr. Jain highlighted the program's strengths — its affordability for seniors, coordinated care models, and essential services and benefits, such as chronic disease management support, post-hospitalization support, and transportation. “These types of benefits are not available in traditional Medicare.”