Congressional Allies - Heal Medicare

One of the most outrageous features of the REACH program (and there are many) is the fact that it would make radical changes to Traditional Medicare, without so much as a vote in Congress. That’s because REACH⁠—as well as its predecessor, Direct Contracting⁠—originated in the typically under-the-radar, and unaccountable, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation.

Thankfully, elected officials are putting pressure on Health and Human Services Sec. Xavier Becerra to cancel REACH, which he has the power to do. This transparent privatization program poses a grave threat to seniors and to Medicare as a whole, and it must be stopped immediately.

Medicare Protectors stand up against privatization

H.R. 1976 (Medicare for All) lead sponsor Rep. Pramila Jayapal and her staff have worked closely with Medicare advocates and health justice organizations to push back against privatization, both publicly and within the halls of Congress.

Rep. Jayapal organized a letter to Sec. Becerra calling for an end to Direct Contracting that was sent Jan. 5, 2022 and signed by 54 members of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Alma Adams (NC-12)
Karen Bass (CA-37)
Donald S. Beyer Jr. (VA-08)
Earl Blumenauer (OR-03)
Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)
Jamaal Bowman, Ed.D. (NY-16)
Cori Bush (MO-01)
Salud Carbajal (CA-24)
Andre Carson (IN-07)
David Cicilline (RI-01)
Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09)
Steve Cohen (TN-09)
Gerald E. Connolly (VA-11)
Jim Cooper (TN-05)
Jason Crow (CO-06)
Danny K. Davis (IL-07)
Peter A. DeFazio (OR-04)
Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-03)
Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11)
Debbie Dingell (MI-12)
Mike Doyle (PA-18)
Adriano Espaillat (NY-13)
Sylvia R. Garcia (TX-29)
Jesús G. “Chuy” García (IL-04)
Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-03)
Jared Huffman (CA-02)
Pramila Jayapal (WA-7)
Mondaire Jones (NY-17)
John B. Larson (CT-01)
Barbara Lee (CA-13)
Mike Levin (CA-49)
James P. McGovern (MA-02)
Joseph Morelle (NY-25)
Jerrold Nadler (NY-10)
Joe Neguse (CO-02)
Marie Newman (IL-03)
Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-00)
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14)
Ilhan Omar (MN-05)
Donald M. Payne, Jr. (NJ-10)
Mark Pocan (WI-02)
Katie Porter (CA-45)
Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)
Jamie Raskin (MD-08)
Jan Schakowsky (IL-09)
Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03)
Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05)
Mark Takano (CA-41)
Dina Titus (NV-01)
Rashida Tlaib (MI-13)
Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12)
Peter Welch (VT-At Large)
Nikema Williams (GA-05)
John B. Yarmuth (KY-03)

Congressional Progressive Caucus urges executive action

On March 30, 2023, the Congressional Progressive Caucus issued a series of recommended executive actions for the Biden Administration. High on the list was the following call to end the REACH program:

Protect seniors’ ability to manage their own care in traditional Medicare by quickly transitioning away from the ACO REACH pilot program, which allows third-party middlemen to manage care without seniors’ full understanding or prior consent.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren: Shut down privatization

On February 2, 2022, Sen. Elizabeth Warren chaired a hearing of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance (Subcommittee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Growth) that focused on “The Hospital Insurance Trust Fund and the Future of Medicare Financing.”

Sen. Warren urged the Biden administration to cancel the Direct Contracting program, saying, “My view is that President Biden should not permit Medicare to be handed over to corporate profiteers.”

Ready to take action? Sign our petition demanding an end to Medicare REACH. You may also wish to call your member of Congress at (202) 224-3121. And be sure to let your friends, colleagues, and family members know about this ongoing threat to Traditional Medicare. Questions? Email organizer@pnhp.org.