The insurer-backed Better Medicare Alliance, a Medicare Advantage advocacy group, and over 100 other organizations sent a letter Feb. 27 to CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, MD, urging the agency to modify proposed 2027 rate levels for Medicare Advantage.
The signatories included health plans and affiliated organizations — such as the BCBS Association — as well as broker and provider groups. The letter said that recent years of “inadequate funding and significant policy changes have created growing instability in the program,” such as higher out-of-pocket maximums and plan exits.
“Now is the time to promote stability in Medicare Advantage,” the letter said. The groups also called on CMS to focus on access and affordability, and approach policy changes with caution to avoid care disruptions.
In January, CMS proposed nearly flat MA and Part D payment rates for 2027. On Jan. 30, Fitch Ratings said the 0.09% payment increase would prompt higher premiums, along with fewer coverage options and benefits. The rate was lower than what Wall Street expected for 2027.
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