Beneficiary advisory council

Real Voices.
Real Experiences.
Real Impact on Medicare Advantage.

The Better Medicare Alliance Beneficiary Advisory Council elevates the voices and lived experiences of Medicare Advantage beneficiaries to help inform advocacy, research, and communications at a time when seniors’ care and coverage face growing uncertainty.
Join the Beneficiary Advisory Council
watch video

What Is the Beneficiary Advisory Council?

The Beneficiary Advisory Council is a small group of Medicare Advantage beneficiaries who share their experiences to help inform Better Medicare Alliance’s advocacy and outreach.

Council members:
  • Provide insight on how Medicare Advantage works in practice
  • Share how policy and funding decisions affect their lives
  • Offer feedback through quarterly virtual meetings and occasional surveys
  • Serve as a bridge between seniors and policymakers

The council is designed to ensure that advocacy is grounded in real-world experience.
three seniors stand in front of the US Capitol building in Washington DC

Seniors understand better than anyone how health care decisions affect everyday life"

- Rob R.
The voices

Why Beneficiary Voices Matter — Especially Now

Medicare Advantage serves millions of seniors nationwide.

Federal funding decisions and policy changes can directly affect:
  • Monthly premiums
  • Out-of-pocket costs
  • Supplemental benefits
  • Plan availability — especially in rural communities

When funding does not keep pace with rising medical costs, seniors feel it.

Higher costs.
Fewer benefits.
Fewer choices.

That’s why beneficiary voices matter.

Policy debates often focus on numbers. Seniors focus on whether they can afford their care and live with stability.

How Beneficiary Voices Inform Decisions
  • Shows how Medicare Advantage works in practice
  • Highlights what is at stake for seniors’ access and affordability
  • Brings clarity to complex policy discussions
  • Strengthens advocacy with lived experience

Real-world experience brings clarity to complex decisions. It shows how Medicare Advantage works in practice — and what is at stake for seniors’ access and affordability.

The Beneficiary Advisory Council ensures those experiences remain part of the conversation.
Join the council
the experience

What Participation Looks Like

Joining the council requires only a small time commitment, but members’ experiences can help shape conversations about Medicare Advantage.

Quarterly meetings

Participate in virtual meetings with the council.

No Cost to Participate

There is no cost to join the council.

Occasional Feedback

Share input through brief surveys or calls as needed.

No Impact on Benefits

Participation does not affect your Medicare Advantage coverage.

One-year
term

Serve a renewable one-year term.

Want to join?

Apply now
the impact

How your feedback is used

Real stories

Beneficiaries sharing how Medicare Advantage impacts their lives.

Shaping advocacy with experience

Council insights help guide advocacy priorities for Better Medicare Alliance.

A seat at the table

Giving beneficiaries a direct role in the conversation about their care.
Group of seniors posing for a photo with Dr. Oz, CMS administrator
the council

Meet Our Advisory Council Members

A group of passionate seniors who are committed to advocating for Medicare Advantage.
Rob r.
“Medicare Advantage gives me the confidence and stability to live the life I want to live. It allows me to stay active, involved, and connected to my community.”
Kathy B.
“The more people we can get active to advocate for us, the better this program has a chance of survival.”
Greg b.
“This is really a very crucial time for seniors, especially at this time when lawmakers need to take a real hard look at this program and support it.”
Steven H.
“Policy and lawmakers do not know what goes on unless constituents tell them. The council is an intermediary between seniors and lawmakers.”

Join the Beneficiary advisory council

Apply now

Speak up.
Share your story.

Interested in Joining the Beneficiary Advisory Council?

If you are a Medicare Advantage beneficiary and want to help ensure seniors’ experiences are reflected in policy discussions, we invite you to apply.
The latest

recent news

Read the latest on what the Beneficiary Advisory Council is up to.
  • March 9th, 2026

Press Release Placeholder

Placeholder for launch announcement press release.

read more
  • March 5th, 2026

Rob’s Story: “Medicare Advantage gives me the independence to be the person I want to be.

Rob can afford to enjoy his retirement because he spends less on health care thanks to Medicare Advantage After working in retail for 35 years, Rob is embracing retirement. He volunteers, travels, and plays cards with friends. He’s learned new hobbies like baking bread and editing videos. But Rob lost the ability to enjoy his […]

read more
  • March 4th, 2026

Kathy’s Story: “My senior years are great, thanks to Medicare Advantage”

Kathy can afford to enjoy her retirement because she spends less on health care thanks to Medicare Advantage When Kathy Bandstra placed a classified ad in her local newspaper, she never expected that it would lead her to her husband Greg – who, in his response, claimed to be 5’ 11” but turned out to […]

read more