Florida seniors are still reeling after years of back-to-back cuts to the popular Medicare Advantage program enacted during the last presidential administration. Now, Biden-era policy decisions threaten to hamper the program further in 2026. In this new age of government efficiency, we should be strengthening, not sidelining, America’s most efficient and effective public-private partnership. Doing so will take political fortitude, but will be worth it to protect this vital program.
Roughly 34 million American seniors, which is more than half of the Medicare-eligible population, have opted for Medicare Advantage. They value the expanded coverage options offered under the program—things like vision and dental, which, in many cases, are available without additional premiums. It’s unsurprising, therefore, that the program is outpacing traditional Medicare in enrollment.
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The program isn’t only great for seniors; it also delivers for taxpayers. A recent study found that the growth in popularity of Medicare Advantage helped save the federal government some $144 billion. MA provides a useful model for how public-private partnerships can help make government more efficient; in fact, research suggests that making traditional Medicare more like Medicare Advantage could help extend the Medicare Trust Fund’s solvency by 17 years.
Unfortunately, many on the left see MA as a threat to traditional Medicare. The Biden administration spent years starving the program of necessary funding, with back-to-back cuts in 2024 and 2025. Then, in their final days in office, the Biden White House set proposed 2026 rates below the rate of inflation, making for a sneaky “cut” disguised as a small increase. Detractors sometimes accuse MA plans of overbilling, but according to a recent report by the Government Accountability Office, there were nearly double as many improper payments to providers in the fee-for-service program as there were in Medicare Advantage.
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Whatever the reason for Democrats’ targeting of Medicare Advantage, the years of cuts are taking their toll on the program. Around 1.3 million seniors lost access to their current plans at the start of 2025 due to Biden-era cuts, and seniors in 19 different states saw their premiums jump by over 10%. As effective as Medicare Advantage has been, it can’t continue to benefit seniors if it keeps being deprived of necessary funding.
Florida seniors deserve affordable coverage options that fit their needs. For that reason, I echo Sen. Scott’s statement from last year that “Biden’s war on seniors is disastrous – especially for seniors on fixed incomes who are already struggling with skyrocketing inflation.” I hope that he, along with Reps. Donalds and Lee will fight to preserve this effective and popular program in Washington. That means canceling the cuts for 2026 and restoring adequate funding to the program. The GOP says they care about government efficiency; it’s time to put our money where our mouth is by saving Medicare Advantage.
Dick Ingles is the President of the Sun City Republican Club.
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