Secretive Group Floods CMS With Form Letters Backing Higher Medicare Advantage Payments
KFF Health News and NPR report that a dark‑money group called Medicare Advantage Majority generated at least 13,519 of 16,324 public comments submitted to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on a January proposal to keep 2027 Medicare Advantage payment rates essentially flat. The organization, which does not disclose its funders, used a template letter warning that “nearly flat” year‑over‑year federal payments would amount to benefit cuts and risk seniors’ access to doctors, then pushed it heavily through a more than $3.1 million Facebook ad blitz since September 2024. Data analysis shows roughly 83% of all posted comments used this identical language, raising concerns among money‑in‑politics watchdogs that CMS’s process is being dominated by an orchestrated astroturf campaign rather than independent public input. Insurers are lobbying hard against the proposal, which affects about 35 million Medicare Advantage enrollees and billions in federal spending, while critics argue that opaque funding and mass‑produced comments can distort how regulators perceive seniors’ views. The episode underscores how dark‑money operations and targeted social‑media ads are increasingly used to shape technical federal payment rules that have huge consequences for patients and taxpayers.
📌 Key Facts
- CMS took public comments Jan. 26–Feb. 25, 2026 on a proposal to keep 2027 Medicare Advantage reimbursement rates essentially flat.
- Of 16,324 public comments posted as of March 11, at least 13,519 — about 83% — were identical form letters originating from the group Medicare Advantage Majority.
- Facebook’s Ad Library shows Medicare Advantage Majority has spent more than $3.1 million on hundreds of Facebook ads since September 2024 promoting its message and tools to contact CMS.
📊 Relevant Data
In 2023, 59% of Black Medicare beneficiaries and 67% of Hispanic Medicare beneficiaries were enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans, compared to 52% of all Medicare beneficiaries overall.
Understanding the Effect of Race on Medicare Advantage Enrollment — PMC (PubMed Central)
The higher enrollment rate in Medicare Advantage among Black beneficiaries compared to White beneficiaries is largely associated with differences in preferences.
Understanding the Effect of Race on Medicare Advantage Enrollment — PubMed
Medicare Advantage plans are projected to be overpaid by $76 billion in 2026, largely due to upcoding practices that inflate diagnoses.
Overpayments to Medicare Advantage in 2026: $76 Billion — Center for Medicare Advocacy
MedPAC estimates that Medicare Advantage plans were overpaid by $27 billion in 2023, primarily due to coding differences ($23 billion) and excessive Star rating bonuses ($4 billion).
Warning: MA overpayments could exceed $75B in 2023, study finds — RISE Health
📰 Source Timeline (1)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time