I’ve spent enough time talking to seniors in West Virginia to know that people are worried about the cost of health care. Those concerns aren’t theoretical, and they’re not completely unfounded either.
Folks are worried about rising prescription costs making it harder to manage their health conditions. They’re worried about whether they’ll still be able to see the same doctors next year and whether the coverage they depend on is going to become more expensive or harder to use.
Those concerns are magnified in a state like West Virgina, where many seniors already have to travel long distances for care. That’s one reason Medicare Advantage has become so important here.
I spend a lot of time looking at health policy and hearing from providers, patients and families about what’s working and what isn’t as chairman of the Senate Health and Human Resources Committee. Medicare Advantage is one of the programs people consistently tell me is helping them manage their care in a more practical and affordable way.
It gives seniors more choices, helps coordinate care, and often includes benefits that traditional Medicare does not—things like vision, dental, hearing coverage, transportation support and wellness services that help people stay healthier and more independent. Out here, those are the kinds of services that help keep people out of the emergency room and connected to care.
That’s why I paid close attention to the Medicare Advantage rate decision from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) earlier this year. The agency ended up increasing the final rate after its original proposal drew a lot of concern, and that was certainly better than where things started. But let’s be honest, the bar was set awfully low to begin with.
Even with the updated 2.48% increase, the numbers still don’t come close to matching what’s actually happening in health care right now. Costs are rising far faster than that. While the final rate may have avoided a worse outcome, it doesn’t mean the problem is solved.
There’s still real concern that plans may have to make adjustments next year just to keep up. If and when that happens, seniors are usually the ones who feel it first through higher costs, fewer benefits, or changes to the doctors and services available to them.
This is where Republicans need to lead. Conservatives have talked for years about the importance of patient choice, market competition and protecting seniors. Medicare Advantage checks every one of those boxes. It uses private-sector competition to give seniors options instead of forcing everyone into the same one-size-fits-all system.
More than half of all Medicare beneficiaries in the country have now chosen Medicare Advantage. That’s not because somebody forced them into it. It’s because millions of seniors decided it worked better for them. You’d better believe they’re paying attention to what happens next.
Polling from last year found that 81% of seniors oppose cuts to Medicare Advantage funding and more than three-quarters said they would be less likely to support a member of Congress who backed cuts to the program. That’s a political reality our leaders in Washington would be wise to pay attention to.
Seniors vote. In West Virginia, they vote consistently, and they pay close attention when policies start affecting their pocketbooks or their access to care. That’s especially so as affordability has become one of the biggest issues heading into the midterms. Seniors living on fixed incomes don’t have the luxury of absorbing higher costs. Even small increases matter.
Republicans should be the party standing up for stability and affordability in health care, especially for older Americans who spent their lives paying into the system. The care they need should be there when they need it. That means supporting Medicare Advantage and pushing back against proposals that could make care harder to access.
West Virginia seniors are counting on leaders to get this right. And I believe Republicans should be leading that fight.
Senator Brian Helton, R-Fayette, represents the Ninth District in the West Virginia Senate and serves as chairman of the Senate Health and Human Resources Committee.
