Dear Acting Administrator Slavitt:

On behalf of the members of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, this letter requests that you reverse the proposed policy change to the process used for Medicare Advantage Retiree Coverage, otherwise known as Employer Group Waiver Plans (EGWPs), in the recently issued Medicare Advantage Advance Notice.

In Delaware, employers have turned to Medicare Advantage Retiree Coverage to help meet their obligations to retired workers due to the enhanced quality of care, affordability, and choice of Medicare Advantage Retiree Coverage.

The proposed policy change in February that represents a 3 to 4 percent cut in payments to Medicare Advantage Retiree Coverage will undermine employers’ ability to offer innovative Medicare Advantage Retiree Coverage solutions that have demonstrated lower costs and increase choices for retirees. The Chamber members believe if this policy change is not reversed, retirees in Delaware will face higher costs, reduced benefits, and fewer choices.

Delaware’s 13,000 plus retirees who have come to rely on their comprehensive, accessible, and affordable Medicare Advantage Retiree Coverage and your action is needed to keep in place the proven bidding process for Medicare Advantage Retiree Coverage.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter facing Delaware’s retiree population.

Sincerely,

A. Richard Heffron

President and CEO