Kilmer Honored for Protecting Seniors’ Health Coverage
Grassroots coalition of nearly 500,000 Medicare Advantage beneficiaries nationwide names Kilmer a “Medicare Advantage Champion”
Washington, D.C. – Today, Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) was honored as a “Medicare Advantage Champion” by the Better Medicare Alliance, a leading national advocacy organization supporting Medicare Advantage. The “Medicare Advantage Champion” award recognizes lawmakers who have worked to strengthen and protect Medicare Advantage, the public-private partnership in Medicare relied on today by more than 24 million seniors and Americans with disabilities. There are over 35,000 Medicare Advantage beneficiaries in Washington’s sixth congressional district alone, representing over 20% of the district’s Medicare enrollment.
“We need to ensure that seniors - and all Americans - have quality, affordable health care,” said Rep. Kilmer. “I’ve made it a priority to ensure that Medicare Advantage participants can get the coverage and care that provides the best value to them and best meets their needs. I’m grateful for this recognition and will always fight for the seniors I represent.”
“Washington’s seniors deserve to know who is standing up for their health coverage on Capitol Hill. On behalf of our nearly 500,000 grassroots advocates nationwide, we’re proud to honor Rep. Kilmer with our ‘Medicare Advantage Champion’ award for doing exactly that,” said Allyson Y. Schwartz, President and CEO of the Better Medicare Alliance. “Like each of this year’s awardees, Rep. Kilmer has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to working with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to protect and strengthen the high-quality, affordable and innovative care offered by Medicare Advantage. With Medicare Advantage beneficiaries reporting a 99% satisfaction rating and nearly $1,600 in cost savings per year, we look forward to continuing to work alongside leaders like Rep. Kilmer to champion seniors and improve health care financing and delivery through a strong and sustained Medicare Advantage.”
Earlier this year, Rep. Kilmer cosponsored H.R. 6640, the Medicare Advantage COVID Treatment Act, which would waive all cost-sharing for Medicare Advantage plan beneficiaries – including deductibles, copayments, or coinsurance – for any treatment for COVID-19 that would be covered by Medicare Parts A and B under the traditional fee-for-service model. He also joined a letter in early 2019 to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, urging the agency to protect and strengthen the Medicare Advantage program. In addition, he has opposed efforts to cut funding for this vital program.
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