SIOBHAN DUNNAVANT: The Prescription We Need? Medicare Advantage And The Future Of Healthy Aging

For 25 years, I have stood at the bedside of patients, navigating the complexities of our healthcare system. I have seen the miracles of modern medicine, but I have also seen its glaring failures. We have built a system that is exceptional at treating acute illness yet woefully inadequate at preventing it.

That is why CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz’s recent comments regarding Medicare Advantage and healthy food are a necessary step in the fight for a health revolution.

At a recent press conference, Dr. Oz announced that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will move to reward healthcare providers for discussing whole-body health and healthy foods with their patients. He highlighted the progress of the Make America Healthy Again movement, noting that the federal government is recognizing its power as a buyer to incentivize MA plans that provide healthy food options to treat and prevent chronic illnesses.

For too long, Washington has viewed health policy through the cold lens of actuarial tables and fee-for-service codes. If a doctor spends 15 minutes explaining to a patient how reducing sugar intake can save their foot from amputation, the system barely registers the effort. But if that same doctor performs a procedure to amputate the foot later, the reimbursement is immediate and substantial. Dr. Oz is signaling that those days are outdated.

Medicare Advantage (MA) is a key vehicle capable of driving this transformation. Unlike traditional Medicare, which is often bound by rigid limitations on what it can cover, Medicare Advantage plans have the flexibility to look at a patient holistically. MA can offer gym memberships, coordinate transportation to appointments, and, crucially, provide access to nutritious food.

When Dr. Oz talks about using these plans to treat chronic illness through diet, he is speaking a language that resonates with every clinician who has ever watched a patient deteriorate simply because they could not afford or access healthy meals. Food is medicine and can be the ultimate preventive tool if used correctly.

Just as we are on the cusp of realizing the full potential of value-based care, there are voices within the Republican Party who seek to undermine Medicare Advantage. Some Republicans argue for rolling back the very flexibilities that allow for this innovation. To those colleagues, I say this: you cannot claim to support a healthier America while attacking the primary platform that delivers preventive care to our seniors.