AHIP Defends Private Medicare Plans

The Medicare Advantage program does more to help low-income seniors than it does to help higher-income seniors, according to a report by America’s Health Insurance Plans.

AHIP, Washington, presented the report findings here today, just a day before the Senate Finance Committee will hold a hearing on the Medicare Advantage program.

The Medicare Advantage program gives private insurers a vehicle for offering subsidized health maintenance organization, preferred provider organization and private fee-for-service plans to Medicare beneficiaries.

Critics of the Medicare Advantage program, who want to shift some Medicare Advantage funding into health insurance programs for children, have argued that the Medicare Advantage program increases Medicare program expenses and does more to help relatively high-income program beneficiaries than it does to help the poor.

AHIP argues that the reverse is true.