NEW ORLEANS – Senator Bill Cassidy joined seniors from the Coalition for Medicare Choices (CMC) yesterday, Wednesday, May 4, 2016, at the Uptown Shepherd’s Center for a roundtable discussion about the importance of the Medicare Advantage program to voters in Louisiana. Medicare Advantage is the part of Medicare through which private health plans provide comprehensive medical coverage to seniors and persons with disabilities.
“The Medicare Advantage program plays a crucial role in meeting the health care needs of seniors and individuals with disabilities across the nation, including hundreds of thousands of Louisianans,” said Senator Bill Cassidy. “This program gives the patients the power by providing more choices, flexibility and control over their healthcare, which is why it is so successful.”
Senator Cassidy heard personal Medicare Advantage stories from members of the Coalition and other participants who explained the high-quality, coordinated care they receive from their Medicare Advantage coverage.
“My Medicare Advantage plan provides me with access to preventative care and wellness programs and keeps my health care costs manageable,” said Charlotte Turley, Uptown Shepherd’s Center member and Medicare Advantage patient. “I applaud Senator Cassidy’s efforts to stand up for Louisianans who depend on Medicare Advantage for our health care and to protect this critical program.”
"A diverse, vibrant group of seniors visit our center every day," said Uptown Shepherd's Senior Center executive director Kimberly VanWagner. "We appreciate Senator Cassidy's attention to the well-being of older citizens through his support for Medicare Advantage and programs like ours."
Nationwide more than 17 million people participate in Medicare Advantage because of the high-quality care the program provides – more than 250,000 of those are residents of Louisiana.
The Coalition for Medicare Choices is a national grassroots organization of more than 2 million Medicare Advantage beneficiaries from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, who have urged their members of Congress to support Medicare Advantage by protecting the program from future cuts.
