U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz representing Florida's 1st Congressional District | Official U.S. House headshot
U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz representing Florida's 1st Congressional District | Official U.S. House headshot
U.S. Congressman Matt Gaetz (FL-01) has sent a letter to U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, demanding an explanation for the decision to withhold Medicare Part D preliminary premium information for the 2025 season. Rep. Gaetz also addressed this issue in an op-ed published in The Floridian, criticizing the lack of transparency and highlighting concerns about the Inflation Reduction Act's impact on senior citizens.
Gaetz emphasized that seniors depend on this information to make informed decisions during open enrollment. He pointed out that CMS did not release the preliminary data as it usually does by the end of July, and noted a specific FAQ from a July 29, 2024 press release questioning why this data was not provided.
The congressman suggested that this decision might be linked to a "demonstration program" intended to delay anticipated premium increases caused by the Inflation Reduction Act until after the 2024 election. Gaetz questioned the legality of this program and requested detailed information regarding any estimated preliminary premiums produced by CMS for 2025, as well as communications related to the demonstration program between November 15, 2023, and July 29, 2024.
In his letter, Gaetz stated: “This unprecedented lack of transparency for the 2025 season was justified, poorly, by an announced, and possibly unlawful, ‘demonstration program’ designed to kick the widely anticipated premium increases caused by the Inflation Reduction Act until after the 2024 election.”
He requested responses from CMS by October 4, 2024.
Sincerely,
Matt Gaetz
Member of Congress
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