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<v Speaker 1>Good morning, good morning, good morning, and welcome, welcome, welcome.

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<v Speaker 1>We have Darren Grubb here with us today and Darren

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<v Speaker 1>is with mam. That is Medicare Advantage Majority. First of all,

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<v Speaker 1>good morning.

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<v Speaker 2>Sir, Good morning, how are you, Tom?

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<v Speaker 1>And so? Tell us about your organization and tell us

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<v Speaker 1>about the program itself and what our folks need to

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<v Speaker 1>know about the program that they don't know already.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, Medicare Advantage Majority. We are a non part of

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<v Speaker 2>the non profit organization dedicated to protecting, in strengthening the

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<v Speaker 2>Medicare Advantage Program, which serves over thirty four million seniors

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<v Speaker 2>and people with disabilities around the country, you know, including

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<v Speaker 2>sixty nune percent of Latino seniors and sixty five percent

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<v Speaker 2>of Black seniors. In Oklahoma alone, there are more than

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<v Speaker 2>three hundred and thirty eight thousand seniors in the Medicare

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<v Speaker 2>Advantage Program, a good chunk of your population. And so

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<v Speaker 2>you know, our coalition is powered by hundreds of thousand

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<v Speaker 2>local advocates nationwide, including venice series and care givers and

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<v Speaker 2>healthcare providers and communities leaders. Really the entire care giving

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<v Speaker 2>ecosystem and the appeal of Medicare advantages that it delivers comprehensive,

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<v Speaker 2>high quality and affordable care that goes beyond traditional fee

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<v Speaker 2>for service Medicare, offering benefits like dental, vision, healing, in

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<v Speaker 2>home care. Those are services that are not available on

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<v Speaker 2>many of the traditional Medicare plans. And importantly, unlike traditional Medicare,

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<v Speaker 2>Medicare Advantage provides prescription drug coverage and cats on out

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<v Speaker 2>of pocket costs, which gives a senior's financial peace of mind,

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<v Speaker 2>especially during the high cost inflationary times that we found

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<v Speaker 2>ourselves and right now. So you know, it's an important program,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, particularly for diverse and lower income populations, offering

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<v Speaker 2>that reliable, low cost health care coverage.

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<v Speaker 1>And we just came out of a major budget fight

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<v Speaker 1>and Medicare Advantage was ultimately left untouched in reconciliation. What

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<v Speaker 1>you read on the program as it stands after that process.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, you know, we were encouraged the members of the

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<v Speaker 2>House and Cents did not include language that would cut

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<v Speaker 2>fung in for Medicare Advantage during the During the dudget negotiations,

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<v Speaker 2>I'll say there several Senate members floated the idea of

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<v Speaker 2>adding provisions in their version of the Senate side that

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<v Speaker 2>would undermine critical elements of Medicare advantage and essentially cut funding.

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<v Speaker 2>But over the last month, we saw seniors around the

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<v Speaker 2>country make their voices heard, and our Dressroots Army was

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<v Speaker 2>happy to stand with them and they helped to mobilize

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<v Speaker 2>and ensure that it didn't happen. During that process, your

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<v Speaker 2>seniors know that the custom Medicare advantagement, they could lose

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<v Speaker 2>actives to those benefits that I mentioned, vision and hearing,

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<v Speaker 2>transportation wellness programs, benefits that really allow seniors to age

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<v Speaker 2>safely and independently. And bottom line, you know, our message

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<v Speaker 2>to Congress was clear President Trump campaign on protective Medicare.

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<v Speaker 2>Any proposal that undermines Medicare advantage has the potential to

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<v Speaker 2>harm seniors and it goes against the will of voter

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<v Speaker 2>since in the President's Republican majorities of Washington.

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<v Speaker 1>Now it is cutting season in Washington, d C. And

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<v Speaker 1>we know it's it's been on time so far. But

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<v Speaker 1>we can appreciate all the needs to rein in government spending,

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<v Speaker 1>of course, but are you a little bit worried that

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<v Speaker 1>this posture could impact the Medicare advantage program in ongoing

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<v Speaker 1>budget debates? And what's the history of Congressional or administration

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<v Speaker 1>support for Medicare advantage.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, you know, despite really high satisfaction rates for beneficiaries

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<v Speaker 2>around the country and pretty bipartisan supporting, and there has

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<v Speaker 2>been effort there having efforts in the past several administrations

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<v Speaker 2>to cut Medicare advantage, and that we totally understand that

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<v Speaker 2>the fire in the many ways the need to cut

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<v Speaker 2>cost of the federal government, but it cannot be done

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<v Speaker 2>on the on the backs and at the expense of

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<v Speaker 2>the healthcare that our seniors and their families rely on.

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<v Speaker 2>John We recently did a serving seniors nationwide and we

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<v Speaker 2>asked this question and the response was clear. A majority

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<v Speaker 2>fifty three percent believe that the federal government should actually

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<v Speaker 2>increase funding for Medicare advantage, not cut it. And sixty

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<v Speaker 2>nine percent of seniors are less likely to vote for

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<v Speaker 2>a member of Congress who supports cuts. And here's why

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<v Speaker 2>the fundiness cut. Seniors are going to pay higher premiums,

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<v Speaker 2>they're going to pay higher deductibles where they have higher

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<v Speaker 2>out of pocket costs the boards of twenty five hundred

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<v Speaker 2>dollars per year, and they're going to have less access

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<v Speaker 2>to the doctors and the services they need. And again,

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<v Speaker 2>in the time of high inflation, still trying to get

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<v Speaker 2>that under control. Medicare advantages casts them out of pocket

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<v Speaker 2>costs are important, especially for seniors on fixed incomes. And

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<v Speaker 2>one more thing, the majority of seniors and roles of

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<v Speaker 2>Medicare advantage have incomes under twenty five thousand dollars per year.

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<v Speaker 2>And so we believe that seniors message of Congress is

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<v Speaker 2>pretty clear.

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<v Speaker 1>Now. The House Ways and Means, Health and Oversight Communities

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<v Speaker 1>are holding a joint hearing a little bit later today

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<v Speaker 1>on Medicare advantage. So, Darren, what should we be watching

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<v Speaker 1>for and what's at stake at this moment?

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<v Speaker 2>You know, I'll say you a couple of things. We

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<v Speaker 2>will be watching for how members of Congress react to

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<v Speaker 2>what they have heard from seniors over the past few weeks.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, seniors are a critical voting block. In the

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<v Speaker 2>presidential election of twenty twenty four, twenty years sorry, In

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<v Speaker 2>the presidential election of twenty twenty four, seniors turned out

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<v Speaker 2>at the highest rate of eligibility. Seventy five percent of

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<v Speaker 2>seniors over age sixty five voted. That was the highest

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<v Speaker 2>turnout of any demographic group. Very similar trains in the

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<v Speaker 2>midterms in twenty twenty two. And so we know that

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<v Speaker 2>seniors can decide elections. And again, if members of Congress

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<v Speaker 2>are paying attention, they will have heard loud and clear

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<v Speaker 2>from seniors who said, do not touch Medicare advantage because

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<v Speaker 2>we rely on it, We've earned it. It's beneficially no

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<v Speaker 2>only for us, that our families in the character who

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<v Speaker 2>are taking care of them in these later years. And

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<v Speaker 2>so we're going to stay in our front door.

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<v Speaker 1>Now you're hearing a lot about the shortcomings in our

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<v Speaker 1>healthcare system, especially when it comes to rural communities or

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<v Speaker 1>people managing their chronic conditions. So Darren grow up with

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<v Speaker 1>Medicare advantage. Majority, can you please tell us what role

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<v Speaker 1>Medicare advantage will play in filling those gaps?

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<v Speaker 2>Absolutely, and gaps is the keyword. And there are gaps

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<v Speaker 2>in our healthcare system, particularly in our more rural and

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<v Speaker 2>when those communities where healthcare has been under invested in

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<v Speaker 2>for far too long. Quite frankly, I'm in Texas. Here

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<v Speaker 2>in Oklahoma, there are a lot of rural communities that

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<v Speaker 2>we need to be mindful of, and rural residents eligible

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<v Speaker 2>for Medicare tend have lower incomes and higher rates of

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<v Speaker 2>multiple chronic health conditions than those living in an urban

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<v Speaker 2>or city center, and Medicare adventags can really help fill

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<v Speaker 2>some of those care gaps through the comprehensive services that

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<v Speaker 2>many traditional Medicare plans don't offer. Services like telehealth, prescription

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<v Speaker 2>drug delivery, preventative care wellness plans. Those are things covering

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<v Speaker 2>Medicare advantage that could be really benefficient to rural communities.

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<v Speaker 1>Then, Darren, what can our listeners do to get more

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<v Speaker 1>engaged on this issue?

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<v Speaker 2>Let me start with this. Our mission is to ensure

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<v Speaker 2>that seniors and caregivers and family members and others have

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<v Speaker 2>a voice with policy makers in this debate going forward.

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<v Speaker 2>The best way to do that is at the local level.

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<v Speaker 2>As you will know, and so I id invet your

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<v Speaker 2>listeners to go to our website www dot Medicare Advantage

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<v Speaker 2>majority dot org to learn more about the Medicare Advantage program,

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<v Speaker 2>to learn more about our organization, and to sign a

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<v Speaker 2>letter to urge your members of Congress to protect strip

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<v Speaker 2>from Medicare advantage. We had such an outcouring of support

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<v Speaker 2>from seniors who were sending emails, writing letters, is making

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<v Speaker 2>phone calls, showing up the town halls with their members

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<v Speaker 2>to let them know that cutting Medicare advantage it should

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<v Speaker 2>be off the table. It's bad policy and therefore it's

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<v Speaker 2>bad politics. And we want to keep the Join Big

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<v Speaker 2>going because we're mindful of standing up and standing with

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<v Speaker 2>seniors going forward.

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<v Speaker 1>All right, we've been speaking with Darren Grubb and he's

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<v Speaker 1>with Medicare advantage majority. Darren, thank you.

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<v Speaker 2>Thanks for having me on Wean's. You have a great day.