Pete Ricketts

This hearing is called to order. Isn't that cool? I actually get a gavel. This is pretty cool.

Yes. Well, the good news is you have got five years to research it. It may take that much time.

As the population in the United States ages it is vital that we take a closer look at the institutions and programs that we trust to take care of our older folks.

I really appreciate everybody coming here to discuss Medicare Advantage enrollment program and application process and how confusing and cumbersome it can be for older Americans and their loved ones.

A thousand dollars a day.

Is that written in the rules, though, that two-week timeframe?

I would like to thank Senator Ricketts for leading the Improving Measurements of Loneliness and Isolation Act and for co-sponsoring the Alleviating Barriers for Caregivers Act.

We appreciate Senator Ricketts co-sponsoring this important legislation.

That would have to be done at the Federal level, and CMS would have that.

I do think that we need to have more official information coming from CMS.

Thank you for inviting AARP to participate in today's hearing.

It is, again, confusing, especially as you just said, you can do the Medicare Advantage online but then if you are doing the Medicare supplement you have to call to talk to somebody.

You can't go back to the Medicare supplement plans.

Great. I also want to get back to something that both of you talked about with regard to the Medicare Advantage plans and this delay.

Would you say that the complexity of the system is disadvantaging people on lower incomes?

Jana and Kierstin, you obviously deal with a lot of folks.

How could you even anticipate that?

Is that with traditional Medicare? Is that less of a problem?

We need to reevaluate the rules on this program... that is a really bad place for our consumers to be.

Is that with traditional Medicare? Is that less of a problem?

They can't do that because they may have a preexisting condition, and that may be the thing that prevents them?

Yes. Somebody said back to you, 'We have 10 days to make that decision.' Where do they get that 10 days?

I would like to thank Senator Ricketts for leading the Improving Measurements of Loneliness and Isolation Act and for co-sponsoring the Alleviating Barriers for Caregivers Act.

I know that there are even people you can hire to help you, right.

I think there is a common thing in marketing that you have to get a message out seven times before people start remembering it.