O P I N I O N

THE SOAPBOX

Stand up.Speak up. It’s your turn.

When my aunt was diagnosed with cancer it turned our whole family upside-down. My mom, who is very close with her sister, has moved in to give her the support she needs, and I have started working remotely so I could be there to help with her day-to-day care and help transportation to and from appointments.

We were bracing for the financial hit as much as the emotional one after her diagnosis. Cancer is devastating enough. Constantly worrying about whether you can afford the care your loved one needs just makes a terrible situation even worse.

That’s where Medicare Advantage really made a difference for our family. It has saved us thousands of dollars just on pain management and emotional support services, and that’s not even counting everything else tied to her treatment. Those services are essential to us. They’ve helped keep my aunt comfortable and given our family some breathing room during an incredibly hard time.

Programs like this matter when life takes a turn you didn’t see coming. Medicare Advantage helped our family focus on caring for my aunt instead of constantly worrying about bills. However, the rates the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently proposed for Medicare Advantage next year concern me. They are simply too low to keep up with the rising cost of care, and ultimately, that’s going to hurt Medicare Advantage beneficiaries like my aunt.

Senators Shaheen and Hassan should push CMS and the administration to increase these rates before they’re finalized. Families like ours could face decreased coverage and higher care costs if they don’t.

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