00:00The joint hearing of the Health and Oversight Subcommittee will come to
00:05order. Good morning and thank you to the witnesses for being here today to discuss
00:10an important issue, Medicare Advantage or MA. MA is a very popular health
00:17insurance program option that plays a vital role in providing high quality
00:21affordable care to millions of seniors including over a hundred thousand from
00:28my district in Florida. Nationwide, 54% of Medicare beneficiaries choose MA plans
00:34over traditional fee-for-service Medicare plans. In Florida, 60% of Medicare
00:40beneficiaries are enrolled in MA. MA beneficiaries spend less on care and have
00:47a better health outcome than those that do a traditional Medicare leading to
00:51lower and more efficient costs across the system. MA beneficiaries generally also
00:58have more access to benefits traditionally Medicare that doesn't offer like low cut,
01:05lower out-of-pocket costs, vision, dental, hearing coverages, prescription drugs,
01:12prevention services and chronic diseases, management care and a host of other
01:17supplemental benefits. I'm very excited about the supplement benefits MA provides to
01:24improve health and wellness such as access to fitness memberships, wearable
01:29technologies and health meals optional. 95% of MA beneficiaries are satisfied with
01:35the care they receive. It's important to examine the program to ensure MA continues
01:42to deliver for patients. For example, we have heard many stories of excess prior
01:49authorization and payment delays that negatively impacts patients. Outdated financial incentives
01:56may also contribute to some of the unjustifiable payments in the MA program. Fortunately, we have the
02:02ability to modernize the benefits to ensure patients receive the best care, reduce burden on
02:09providers and better manage overall health care costs. Transparency is crucial for maintaining the trust in the system and ensuring
02:19efficient use of taxpayer dollars. I believe we can protect the
02:23integrity of MA while ensuring it remains a strong option for beneficiaries. I look
02:29forward to discussing the opportunities today with our witnesses. I hope all my
02:34colleagues will focus on the topic at hand. Now I'm pleased to recognize the
02:40gentleman and my good friend from Texas, Mr. Doggett, for his opening statement.
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