Pelosi: Health Insurance Reform Has Strengthened Medicare Advantage for Our Seniors

WASHINGTON, Sept. 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today after the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that, on average, Medicare Advantage premiums will decrease by 1 percent in 2011, while benefits remain the same. Moreover, contrary to expectations, CMS reported that enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans is projected to rise 5 percent next year:

"Seniors who choose Medicare Advantage plans received great news today: premiums, on average, are actually dropping next year, and because of health reform, preventive services will be free and out-of-pocket expenses will be limited. With enrollment in Medicare Advantage on the rise, more seniors will have lower co-pays for skilled nursing, chemotherapy, dialysis, and other services.

"Today's announcement shows that the fear-mongering by health insurers and Congressional Republicans was wrong, misleading, and unfair to seniors. Health insurance reform extended the solvency of Medicare by more than a decade and improved benefits for all seniors and Medicare beneficiaries. Now we are seeing that it has even strengthened Medicare Advantage.

"Republicans pledging to repeal health reform would overturn these vital gains."

SOURCE Office of the Speaker of the House