Keeping Part D Strong: The Value of Choice

Consumer choice is one of the most powerful tools in any marketplace. Don't like the service at Restaurant A? No problem, there are many others waiting to serve you. Department Store X is having a great sale and Store Y isn't…I know where I’m going to shop.As consumers and smart shoppers, we vote with our pocketbook every time we make a purchase, and by doing so, we affect the market that wants our business. While we embrace the importance of competition in many other types of commerce, we often overlook its importance in health care.For Medicare Part D, choice is a critical part of the program design. In fact, there was initial concern there would not be enough plans offered. However, as you know, the opposite happened. Many companies entered the Medicare Part D marketplace and continue to provide seniors like you with a wide variety of plan options so you can find one that best meets your individual needs.Choice -- and the resulting competition among plans -- has made you the real winners by keeping premiums steady, program satisfaction high and making Medicare Part D a successful public-private initiative.Some want to change this successful program - to limit choices or undermine the elements of consumer empowerment that have made it so successful. Attempts to weaken and disrupt Part D’s competitive structure do not serve the best interests of the seniors like you who benefit from the program. As Part D beneficiaries, we need to stand firm to protect this program which is fundamental to our health and well-being.