Community leaders engage lawmakers on the value Medicare Advantage

More than three dozen community leaders from across the country have come together to actively engage lawmakers on the value Medicare Advantage provides to vulnerable seniors in their communities.

The Minority Advisory Committee to the Coalition for Medicare Choices includes former elected officials, civil rights advocates, labor and business leaders who have coalesced to protect low-income and minority seniors from cuts to their Medicare benefits.

"Seniors deserve affordable, high-quality healthcare. Any cuts to Medicare Advantage would drive up healthcare costs for those who can least afford it," said Committee member Willie Hampton, President of the Service Employees International Union Local 79 in Michigan.

A recent AHIP analysis of government data demonstrates the importance of Medicare Advantage to low-income and minority seniors. According to the most recent publicly available data, 49 percent of all Medicare Advantage beneficiaries had incomes of less than $20,000. Sixty-eight percent of minority Medicare Advantage enrollees had incomes below $20,000.

"How could Congress consider cutting funding for a healthcare program that keeps many low-income seniors in our community healthy? If Congress cuts funding, you can be sure that many low-income and minority seniors will be forced to pay more money for less benefits," said Committee member Jaime Martinez, President of League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Council #4626 in San Antonio, Texas.

The Minority Advisory Committee comes together as Congress is crafting budget and health care legislation. Committee members will reach out to members of Congress and provide guidance as the Coalition for Medicare Choices conducts grassroots efforts in their communities.

"Balancing the federal budget on the backs of our seniors who count on Medicare health plans is unacceptable," said Eligio Marin, Chairman of LULAC Illinois.

The Coalition for Medicare Choices is the leading national grassroots organization for beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage.

The Committee includes:

• Isabel Rubio, Executive Director / Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama; Alabama
• Ralph Miller, Executive Director, Latino's for America; California
• Steven Ybarra, National DNC Committeeman; California
• Angel Luevano, State Director of California LULAC; California
• Wellington Webb, former Mayor of Denver, former Regional Director of HHS; Colorado
• Hilary Shelton, Director, Washington Bureau, NAACP; District of Columbia
• Kevin Parker, COO, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation; District of Columbia
• Dr. Elena Rios, M.D., M.S.P.H., President & CEO, National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA); District of Columbia
• Alex Penelas, former Mayor of Miami-Dade County; Florida
• Angel Gonzalez, Chairman, Miami Commission; Florida
• Helen Butler, Executive Director, Coalition for the People's Agenda; Georgia
• Bobbie Paul, Executive Director, Women's Action for New Direction (WAND) Atlanta; Georgia
• John Evans, President, Operation LEAD (Leadership to End All Discrimination); Former President of Dekalb County NAACP; Georgia
• Pat DeBonnett, Former E.D. of the Greater Roseland Community Development Corporation (CDC); Illinois
• Bertand Murrell, President/CEO, Murrell Inc.; Illinois
• David Chang, Korean American Leadership Council; Illinois
• Eligio Marin, Chairman, LULAC Illinois; Illinois
• Joyce Chapman, President/CEO, Pullman Community Development Corporation (CDC); Illinois
• Rev. Dr. Christopher A. Hill Jr., Monumental Baptist Church; Illinois
• William Lantigua, State Representative, Chair of Massachusetts Black Caucus; Massachusetts
• Jerome Warfield, Pastor, Mt. Vernon Baptist Church; Michigan
• Lisa Johannon, Executive Director, CDC of Detroit; Michigan
• Ron Clark, former Detroit television newscaster; Michigan
• Tenesha Grimmett, Community organizer; Michigan
• Willie Hampton, President, SEIU Local 79; Michigan
• Carlos Perez, President, Dominican American Foundation; New Jersey
• Christian Estevez, President, Organization for Latino Advancement; New Jersey
• Pastor Keith Jones, Pastor, Grace Worship Center; New Jersey
• Ulysses Lee, E.D., Black Americans Lobbying for Leadership of Tomorrow (BALLOT); New Jersey
• Claudia Briggs, Nevada State Education Association; Nevada
• Basil Smikle Jr., Basil Smikle & Associates LLC; New York
• Chung Seto, The Chung Seto Group; New York
• Councilman Juan Ramos, City Councilman-at-Large; Pennsylvania
• Pedro Paulo Bretz, Executive Director, The Hispanic Center; Pennsylvania
• Willie Lyles III, Executive Director, The Freedom Foundation; South Carolina
• Wanda Stringfellow, Mayor, City of Chester; South Carolina
• Jaime Martinez, President, LULAC Chapter 2646 of San Antonio, TX; Texas
• Marsha Catron, Board of Hispanic Caucus Chairs; Texas
• Raymond Miller, former President of Black Veterans of Washington; Washington
• Vivian Caver, former State Representative, former Chair of the Seattle Human Rights Department; Washington
• Robert Wilkerson, Chief Advisor on Senior Issues, Beloit Chapter of NAACP; Wisconsin
• Betty Villalobos-Hallman, Executive Director, El Centro of the Hispanic Community of Beloit; Wisconsin