Center for Medicare Advocacy Weighs in on IRA Implementation

The Center for Medicare Advocacy was honored to participate in a recent meeting with leadership of the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) and a group of Medicare advocacy organizations to discuss implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

HHS Secretary Becerra, CMS Administrator Brooks-LaSure and Medicare Director Seshamani and staff hosted a discussion about the challenges and opportunities surrounding implementation of the IRA.  Among the issues discussed were the need for clear descriptions and messages for Medicare beneficiaries about the IRA changes, the critical role that State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs) play in assisting and educating Medicare beneficiaries, and the need to maximize enrollment in Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) and the Part D Low Income Subsidy (LIS)/Extra Help, which, pursuant to the IRA, will have expanded eligibility in 2024.   We look forward to working with HHS, CMS and our partner organizations in effectuating these critical IRA changes.