Richard Blumenthal

Well, consumer choice is an extraordinarily valuable feature until there is bait and switch, and then consumers may choose but may find that their choices put them in a position they had not expected.

I think then back to the three points that Senator Whitehouse made; I think the advance notice by September 30th would make a big difference...

CMS--just for the record and for the understanding of everybody who is listening today, CMS actually has a legal responsibility in that area, does it not?

I will just tell you that my office has been dealing with tens, if not hundreds, of inquiries...

United Health Group is, in fact, the largest Medicare Advantage provider, at least in Connecticut.

Let me turn to the other witnesses who may have some response to the question I have raised.

What we have here is 61,000 patients whose health care was severely jeopardized. They were put through the emotional wringer, not to mention the possible detrimental effect to their health care of, at the very least, opaque and abrupt…

There are really two elephants in this room. One is United Healthcare, and the other is CMS and why it has not taken more effective action.

I think it is more like a cannon burst so far as possible illegality here is concerned.

Thank you, Senator Whitehouse. We wish you well on your long drive back to Rhode Island, and thank you so much for your leadership in this area.

When you choose the path that United appears to have chosen, you are foregoing the path of a responsible high-value network.

You cannot have a network that is at once designed to dump your more expensive patients and at the same time is designed to be the high-value network.

Until that concern has been rebutted, I think it stands plainly as a logical concern.

Thank you very, very much.

In conclusion, Connecticut's older and disabled community, and our Nation's older and disabled community, deserve better treatment than they have received from UnitedHealthcare's Medicare Advantage plan.

United owes its Medicare enrollees and providers at least timely notice and a fair remedy when significant network reductions like these are planned.

United's health care actions would be bold in the private health insurance market. They should not be tolerated in the public Medicare arena.

Thank you very much.

UnitedHealthcare Group was invited. I did invite them to this hearing. They have declined to appear.

Sheldon Whitehouse has been an advocate on these issues from well before I was in the Senate, and I want to thank him particularly for his leadership.

I should say that both Senator Murphy and Senator Whitehouse, along with myself, are members of a task force on health care delivery.

Doing something about that cost problem is vital.

Thank you everyone for being here.

I am told it is a permissible beverage on the floor. If it is not, I am sure I will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action.

I have milk. I offered to share my milk with the Presiding Officer. I know that Maine has its share of farmers. I understand the Presiding Officer is not allowed, under our Senate rules, to respond in substance, but I would be glad to…