Consolidate and Standardize Medicare Advantage and Part D Plans

Selecting a Medicare Advantage (MA) or Part D plan is a daunting task for many. Alarmingly, only 13 percent of Medicare beneficiaries opt to reevaluate their coverage options year to year—despite annual changes to premiums, plan coverage rules, and cost-sharing. This decision-making process is likely to become even more difficult, as plans adopt new flexibilities around uniformity and benefit design. Congress should enact legislation to consolidate MA and Part D plan choices and standardize options in order to facilitate informed beneficiary decision-making.