Pete Sessions responds to H.R. 6331 vote

Today, I received an email from Pete Sessions, in response to my email urging him to vote yes to H.R. 6331. In response, he sent a form letter about Medicare Advantage, which did not acknowledge my call for passage of H.R. 6331. He writes:

Thank you for contacting Congressman Sessions regarding the Medicare Advantage program. I appreciate you taking the time to share your views on this matter.

In the past, when individuals became eligible for Medicare they had no choice; they were enrolled in traditional Medicare fee-for-service. Now, however, those enrolled in Medicare Advantage may choose from Preferred Provider Organizations, Provider Sponsored Organizations, Private Fee-For-Service, Medical Savings Accounts, and Health Maintenance Organizations. By allowing choice, market competition has increased and consumers are able to receive a higher quality of service at lower rates.

The available options in the Medicare Advantage program allow senior citizens to choose their plan according to their individual needs. Without these choices, the quality of health care for America's senior citizens would diminish. I believe Medicare patients are best equipped to choose the most suitable plan, not the federal government...

Medicare Advantage is a privatized plan, generating huge profits for the insurance industry and not much of anything for the rest of us. This document, prepared by the Alliance of Retired Americans calls Medicare Advantage A Windfall For Insurers; Downfall for Beneficiaries; an article by Ben Wasserman of FoodConsumer.org explains that payments to Medicare private insurers for Medicare Advantage plans cost the government 13 percent more than traditional Medicare, and presents a concise overview of the latest Medicare votes.