AHIP Airs Medicare Advantage Ads

By Staff Writer

December 03, 2007 at 12:15 PM

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America's Health Insurance Plans is running commercials in an effort to protect a public-private health insurance program.

AHIP, Washington, bought the commercial time to try to persuade members of Congress to hold funding for the Medicare Advantage program steady.

The Medicare Advantage program gives private carriers an opportunity to administer health maintenance organization, preferred provider plan or indemnity coverage for Medicare beneficiaries.

Some members of Congress argue that Congress should shift some funding from the Medicare Advantage program to health insurance programs for children and uninsured working people who are too young to qualify for Medicare.

AHIP and other groups say the current Medicare Advantage program gives beneficiaries important options and benefits that they would not have if they had to depend solely on the traditional Medicare program.

One AHIP commercial, "Won't Forget," which is running on national cable television, features Medicare Advantage beneficiaries who want to tell lawmakers how important the Medicare Advantage program is to them.

The other commercial, "Value," which has been used before, features independent physicians who talk about the importance of the Medicare Advantage program. That ad is running on television stations in Washington.

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