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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Wednesday, July 19, 2006
CONTACT: Yoni Cohen, (202) 225-3202
STARK RESPONDS TO CMS COMPLAINT DATA
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Pete Stark (D-CA), Ranking Democrat on the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee with jurisdiction over Medicare, today responded to CMS' release of sponsor-level complaint data.
"Once again, CMS is engaged in a public relations effort rather than a serious attempt to gauge problems," said Stark. "GAO has identified numerous problems with the information provided to beneficiaries by private drug plan call centers and 1-800-Medicare.”
“Many people who have been given wrong information have no idea they’ve been misinformed! Therefore, they’re unlikely to complain," Stark continued. "Furthermore, CMS has made it exceedingly difficult for seniors and people for disabilities to do so. If beneficiaries don’t know how to file complaints, it stands to follow that CMS would get complaint levels they feel comfortable promoting.”
“CMS’ numbers cannot mask the Medicare prescription drug program’s serious shortcomings. Even accepting the agency’s numbers, an average rate of 2.3 complaints per 1,000 beneficiaries translates into nearly 30,000 people dissatisfied with their stand-alone plans. The latest propaganda does little to alleviate my concerns about CMS' lack of oversight," concluded Stark.
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