In a bipartisan effort, Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández has led a group of 17 members of Congress in sending a letter to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. The letter urges the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to address disparities in Medicare Advantage rates for Puerto Rico ahead of 2027.
The initiative has gained increased support over recent years, with six congressional signatures in 2024, rising to 14 in 2025, and now reaching 17 signatories from both parties. Lawmakers supporting the letter include Brian Fitzpatrick (PA–01), Adriano Espaillat (NY–13), Don Bacon (NE–02), Ritchie Torres (NY–15), Darren Soto (FL–09), Timothy M. Kennedy (NY–26), Dan Goldman (NY–10), Nydia M. Velázquez (NY–07), Steny H. Hoyer (MD–05), Raul Ruiz (CA–25), Robert J. Menendez (NJ–08), Vicente Gonzalez (TX–34), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL–25), Jimmy Gomez (CA–34), Sylvia R. Garcia (TX–29), Melanie Stansbury (NM–01) and Derek T. Tran (CA–45).
In the letter, Hernández warns that the proposed CMS increase of only 0.09% in Medicare Advantage rates is inadequate and threatens access to healthcare services for hundreds of thousands of beneficiaries on the island.
“The proposed increase by the agency for calendar year 2027, of just 0.09%, is insufficient to meet the complex needs of Medicare beneficiaries in Puerto Rico,” wrote Resident Commissioner Hernández. “Due to a rate system that never contemplated this level of participation in Medicare Advantage, benchmark rates in Puerto Rico are approximately 41% lower than the national average. Although beneficiaries pay the same contributions and premiums as elsewhere, the Medicare Advantage program in Puerto Rico receives insufficient federal support to maintain a healthy population.”
The lawmakers also highlight that Puerto Rico is unique among U.S.-affiliated jurisdictions because low-income seniors must pay the full cost of their Medicare Part B premium due to exclusion from key federal programs such as the Medicare Savings Program, Part D’s Low-Income Subsidy, and long-term care services.
To address these issues, Hernández called on CMS to:
– Maintain regulatory adjustments that prevent cuts and provide stability for Medicare Advantage rates on the island.
– Set a national minimum payment level for Medicare Advantage using existing federal authority.
– Work with Congress to extend essential federal programs to Puerto Rico and close longstanding gaps in healthcare access.
