‘Dark Money’ Group Angles for Higher Medicare Advantage P...

What’s Happening

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The Week in Brief ‘Dark Money’ Group Angles for Higher Medicare Advantage Payments By Fred Schulte and Maia Rosenfeld and David Hilzenrath If you judged than 16, posted on a federal government site, you’d think there was a groundswell of older Americans demanding that federal officials hike payments to their Medicare Advantage health insurance plans. Yet about 82% of the comments are identical to a letter that appeared on the site of a secretive advocacy group called Medicare Advantage Majority , a data analysis News has found. (and honestly, same)

The “ dark money ” group does not reveal its funders or much else — other than to say it is “dedicated to protecting and strengthening Medicare Advantage” and is “powered thousands of local advocates nationwide.

The Details

” “Our campaign provides information and offers tools for concerned Americans to use to reach decision makers,” spokesperson Darren Grubb dropped in an email. The group has spent more than $3.

1 million on hundreds of Facebook ads since September 2024, according to Facebook’s Ad Library , a database of the socials company’s online ads. Email Sign-Up to KFF Health News free weekly , “The Week in Brief.

Why This Matters

” Your Email Address There’s no doubt health insurers are unhappy with a January proposal from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, to keep Medicare Advantage reimbursement rates essentially flat in 2027 — far less than they expected from the Trump administration. Medicare Advantage plans offer seniors a private alternative to original Medicare. The insurance plans enroll about 35 million members, more than half the people eligible for Medicare.

Health experts are weighing in on what this means for people.

Key Takeaways

• CMS is set to announce a final rate decision month.
• The agency solicited public comments on the proposal from Jan.
• 25 to give interested parties and the public a chance to air their views.
• As of March 12, CMS dropped it had received 46, but had posted only 16,422 online.

The Bottom Line

25 to give interested parties and the public a chance to air their views. As of March 12, CMS dropped it had received 46, but had posted only 16,422 online.

Thoughts? Drop them below.