Max Baucus: “Current law requires Medicare beneficiaries to remain in their managed care plan for the full year. HMOs and beneficiary…”

“Current law requires Medicare beneficiaries to remain in their managed care plan for the full year. HMOs and beneficiary advocacy groups have both urged Congress to suspend this requirement as a way to stabilize this program. While I appreciate the argument that a plan and a beneficiary should be required to make a full one-year commitment, I don't believe that this is the time to implement the lock-in requirement. Plans are pulling out of the Medicare program every year. Thousands of beneficiaries have lost the plans in their area. Because of the current instability in the program, it is my view that Congress should wait until the program is more stable before we implement the lock-in.”