Warner, Blackburn Reintroduce Bill to Increase Transparency of Medicare Advantage Benefits for Seniors

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), members of the Senate Finance Committee, reintroduced Medicare Advantage Supplemental Benefits Transparency Act, legislation to require Medicare Advantage (MA) plans to publicly report the supplemental benefits they offer and the extent to which beneficiaries use them. “We need clear and accessible data in order to properly evaluate the effectiveness of the Medicare Advantage program,” said Sen. Warner . “This legislation will make sure we can ensure the sustainability of Medicare and better evaluate plans, so seniors have the best coverage for their needs.” “Transparency in Medicare Advantage plans is long overdue,” said Sen. Blackburn. “The Medicare Advantage Supplemental Benefits Transparency Act would ensure beneficiaries receive the full value they’ve been promised by requiring plans to publicly report the supplemental benefits they offer and how often seniors actually use them.” Specifically, the legislation would require Medicare Advantage plans report enrollee-level data on supplemental benefits to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), as well as report eligibility for benefits, the types of benefit categories offered, and data on utilization of and payments for such benefits. There is currently no statutory requirement to specifically report on supplemental benefits, making data on available benefits and their utilization unreliable. Sen. Warner is dedicated to expanding and protecting health care access for Medicare beneficiaries. Warner and Blackburn first introduced the Medicare Advantage Supplemental Benefits Transparency Act in 2024. Last week, the House Ways and Means Committee unanimously passed Warner’s Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act bipartisan, zero-cost legislation focused on streamlining the prior authorization process for seniors enrolled in MA plans; Sen. Blackburn is among the bill’s bipartisan co-sponsors. Full text of the bill is available here . ###