February 11, 2023 Dear Medicare supporter, For the past 18 months, an incredible coalition of Medicare champions has worked tirelessly to push back against the privatization of our most important and beloved public health program. We’ve raised the alarm about the REACH program, which places third-party middlemen between Traditional Medicare beneficiaries and the care they need. Despite our efforts, the program has continued to grow, from 53 Direct Contracting Entities in 2021, to 99 such entities in 2022, to 132 REACH entities as of January 1. But in a major victory for our campaign, I’m happy to report that the growth of Medicare REACH ends today. Don’t take my word for it. Listen to what Elizabeth Fowler, Deputy Administrator and Director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, told the California Public Employees' Retirement System recently: “We have no plans to open up another application period [for REACH],” she told the CalPERS Board. “There will not be any more than 132 organizations in the model and most likely no more than 2.1 million beneficiaries.” |