Medicare Advantage is the way most Medicare recipients choose to get their coverage. That should impact nearly every public conversation about Medicare because debates that once sounded technical now land directly on the kitchen tables of millions of American seniors. If ever there was an issue that marries policy and politics, this is it.
Medicare Advantage is a public-private partnership in which recipients choose a health plan, and the government pays the insurance provider to administer that plan. For about the same cost to taxpayers as traditional Medicare, which only covers doctors and hospital stays, MA covers hospitals, doctors, catastrophic care, prescriptions, vision, hearing, dental coverage, and can even include transportation to medical appointments, gym memberships, and delivered meals after a stay in the hospital.
These are services seniors need but would be unaffordable without MA. Affordability is not an abstract slogan for someone living on a fixed retirement income. It is the difference between feeling confident about scheduling a visit and delaying it. It is the difference between treating healthcare as a manageable budget item and treating it as an unpredictable risk.
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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently finalized the 2027 Rate Announcement for MA. It estimates an overall average revenue increase of 2.48%. This is a notable improvement from the 0.09% it originally proposed. When factored against medical inflation, that would have amounted to essentially no increase, even though healthcare costs have increased along with every other line item in Americans’ budgets.
Even with a 2.48% increase, cumulative policy and payment changes over several years have not kept pace with medical inflation and utilization trends. Without adequate funding for MA, beneficiaries will see reduced benefits, fewer plan options, or higher costs when they go to renew coverage in October 2026. And that’s right around the time of the midterm elections.
According to Pew Research, 37% of all Republican voters are seniors. That’s Republicans’ biggest age cohort. Given that voters over 65 turn out at the highest rate of any age group and that most eligible seniors choose MA, Congress should support seniors’ ability to afford or even choose the MA plans that work for their budgets or meet their unique health needs.
And seniors are well aware of how MA works for them.
A recent study shows that beneficiaries enrolled in MA spend $3,486 less each year on premiums and out-of-pocket costs than those in traditional Medicare. These savings make it possible for seniors to afford their prescriptions and get the care they need without sacrificing other everyday necessities. And, vitally important, they enjoy better health outcomes.
Seniors care about affordability and stability. Taxpayers care about whether large programs are sustainable. MA serves both interests.
There was an effort to make Medicare more like MA by including hearing, vision, and dental coverage. When costs for that plan were projected, they were estimated to be at least $350 billion over 10 years. Conversely, research shows that if traditional Medicare were more like MA, the program’s solvency could be extended by 17 years.
“Under this administration,” President Donald Trump vowed in his State of the Union address, “we will always protect Social Security and Medicare.” Trump understands politics, and Republicans should take this message to heart, especially with the midterm elections looming.
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Since most Medicare recipients use an MA plan, this is an issue that can mobilize a large, engaged group of voters. MA is not just another line item. It is a commitment. It’s smart policy, and smart politics.
Congress should continue to increase MA rates in line with medical inflation, so seniors can see them living up to Trump’s commitment. And when national leaders say Medicare is not being cut, that statement matters to a voting bloc that turns out reliably.
Saul Anuzis is president of the 60 Plus Association, the American association of senior citizens.