Sens. Marshall and Hassan Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Alert Seniors of Medicare Pitfalls

Press Release

U.S. Senators Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) introduced the Medicare & You Handbook Improvement Act of 2022 (S. 5117), bipartisan legislation to improve education materials for America's seniors during the annual Medicare Open Enrollment period. The legislation is in response to complaints from patients and stakeholders about seniors inadvertently selecting Medicare plans that do not best meet their health care needs.

"The Medicare & You handbook has improved over the years, but still lacks on sharing some vital information on health plan choices and supplemental health insurance," said Senator Marshall. "I've grown increasingly concerned about mass marketing ad campaigns during open enrollment, and want to be sure that seniors are selecting plans that best meets their health and financial needs. That's why Senator Hassan and I introduced bipartisan legislation to close that knowledge gap so seniors know about potential pitfalls. Like my grandma always said, "If it's too good to be true, it probably isn't.'"

"When deciding whether to enroll in traditional Medicare or a Medicare Advantage plan, seniors rely on the official Medicare & You handbook. Unfortunately, the handbook does not fully address the challenges Medicare Advantage can create for seniors." said Senator Hassan. "My bipartisan bill would address this by improving the handbook and adding key information that is currently missing. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to pass this bill, and I will continue working to strengthen Medicare."

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