Bob Menendez: “I want to thank the chairman and his staff for taking the time and effort to ensure the 4 million residents in Puerto…”

“I want to thank the chairman and his staff for taking the time and effort to ensure the 4 million residents in Puerto Rico are treated fairly in our health care system. Throughout my time in Congress, first in the House, and now here in the Senate, I have worked to see the people of Puerto Rico are not forgotten. The health care reform package we are debating today has several outstanding provisions for Puerto Rico. It is an example of the good we can do for its nearly 4 million U.S. citizens--who pay Social Security and Medicare taxes. But there is one issue I want to raise and that is the Medicare Advantage program on the island. Approximately 83 percent of the eligible Medicare beneficiaries in Puerto Rico participate in Medicare Advantage, compared to 25 percent in the States. This can be tracked to the fact that eligible seniors in Puerto Rico are not automatically enrolled in Medicare Part B when they turn 65. As a result, it is more beneficial for seniors in Puerto Rico to enroll in Medicare Advantage to receive all of their Medicare services. However, the fee-for-service, FFS, cost calculation for Puerto Rico is inaccurate and under counts expenditures per Medicare beneficiary.”