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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">April 7, 2014</SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" class=MsoNormal align=center><B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 18pt">NEWS
RELEASE</SPAN></B><o:p></o:p></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" class=MsoNormal align=center><A
href="http://www.ncpssm.org/Portals/0/images/ncpssm-vocus-logo.jpg"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">http://www.ncpssm.org/Portals/0/images/ncpssm-vocus-logo.jpg</SPAN></A><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P
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class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P></DIV>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" class=MsoNormal align=center><B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: navy; FONT-SIZE: 18pt"> </SPAN></B><o:p></o:p></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 6pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 20pt">New
Medicare Advantage Rates Preserve <o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 6pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 20pt">Insurance
Industry Subsidies...Again<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><I><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><I><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">“Today’s announcement by CMS to, once
again, preserve government overpayments to private insurers in Medicare
Advantage is bad policy and bad economics for the Medicare program. These
subsidies were supposed to be gradually trimmed in order to expand benefits and
improve the quality of care for <U>all </U>seniors in Medicare. However, each
year the insurance lobby threatens to cancel coverage or charge more to seniors
in MA plans rather than accept a reduction in their overpayments or
reimbursement rates. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><I><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></I></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><I><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">For
many years, private insurance companies have claimed they can provide better
coverage to seniors at a lower cost. The reality proves otherwise.
Since 2003, all seniors in Medicare (including those not even enrolled in
Medicare Advantage) have paid higher premiums to help fund the billions in
government overpayments to private Medicare Advantage insurance companies.
Over the years, as much as 14% more per beneficiary has been paid to MA plans
than is paid to cover individuals enrolled in traditional Medicare. It’s a
wasteful federal boondoggle that was rightfully corrected by passage of the
Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010. Additionally, thanks to the ACA, growth
in health care costs have been decreasing which means that reimbursement rates
also go down. As reimbursement rates have decreased, MA plan
enrollment has increased. </SPAN><SPAN
style="COLOR: #1f497d"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><I><SPAN
style="COLOR: #1f497d"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></I></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><I><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Let’s
be clear, contrary to the health insurance industry’s massive lobbying campaign
claims, Medicare doesn’t make the decision about cuts to seniors’ MA coverage,
including increasing premiums or reducing access to doctors. That decision rests
squarely in the board rooms of the nation’s private insurance industry, which is
unwilling to give up a penny of their government giveaway in favor of continued
threats of diminished coverage and higher premiums for seniors.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><I><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></I></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><I><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">This
annual drama with private insurers in Medicare proves, once again, that when
private MA plans are unwilling to compete on a level playing field with
traditional Medicare, seniors will ultimately pay the price. So much for
providing better coverage for less.”...Max Richtman, NCPSSM President/CEO
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" class=MsoNormal align=center>###<o:p></o:p></P>
<P
style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 5pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0in; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: 5.0pt"
class=MsoNormal><I><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">The National
Committee, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization acts in the interests of its
membership through advocacy, education, services, grassroots efforts and the
leadership of the Board of Directors and professional staff. The work of
the National Committee is directed toward developing better-informed citizens
and voters.</SPAN></I><o:p></o:p></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" class=MsoNormal align=center><B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> </SPAN></B><o:p></o:p></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" class=MsoNormal align=center><B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Media Inquiries
to:</SPAN></B><o:p></o:p></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" class=MsoNormal align=center><B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Pamela Causey
202-216-8378/202-236-2123</SPAN></B><o:p></o:p></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" class=MsoNormal align=center><B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Kim Wright
202-216-8414 </SPAN></B><A href="http://www.ncpssm.org"><B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">www.ncpssm.org</SPAN></B></A><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify" class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Freestyle Script'; FONT-SIZE: 20pt">Kim
Wright</SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 20pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Assistant
Director of Communications</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">The National
Committee to Preserve<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Social
Security and Medicare<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><A
title=http://www.ncpssm.org/ href="http://www.ncpssm.org/"><I>www.ncpssm.org
</I></A></SPAN><I><U><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; COLOR: blue; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></U></I></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">(202)
216-8414/(202) 787-3701 fax</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify" class=MsoNormal><I><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Get the latest
on our blog <A title=http://www.ncpssm.org/entitledtoknow/
href="http://www.ncpssm.org/entitledtoknow/">entitledtoknow</A><U><SPAN
style="COLOR: blue"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></U></SPAN></I></P>
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