Pete Ricketts

If you have seen one MA plan, you have seen one.

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

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.

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

That all requires preauthorization, so there could be delays with regard to that?

I don't think it was the goal that we were going to have 50 percent of people on these plans.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

We need to reevaluate the rules on this program, one of those being that there is a rule in place that CMS can't step in and set a floor for the base payment rate.

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

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

Would you say then your evaluation of this, your assessment is we actually have not met that goal, that we are not being as preventative and we are not actually saving costs in this program?

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

Do you think that is what most people think?

Would it have been helpful to start having that dialog earlier?

The whole point of Medicare Advantage plans was to be proactive and preventative, right, and you said that in your opening remarks.

You know, CMS has really let this Medicare Advantage program expand to a point that I don't think anyone ever anticipated.

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

That all requires preauthorization, so there could be delays with regard to that?

We appreciate Senator Ricketts co-sponsoring this important legislation.