Group backing private Medicare is funded by insurance giants

WASHINGTON — A group gaining influence in Washington as a champion for Medicare beneficiaries is bankrolled by major health insurance companies that are trying to cash in on private coverage offered through the federal health insurance program.

The Better Medicare Alliance claims a far-flung network of seniors, with a Facebook community of more than 380,000 and 110,000 signed up to receive email alerts. Its website displays profiles of “BMA Seniors” who describe private Medicare plans in glowing terms. The Associated Press found that one of the featured seniors, David Kievit, died in March at age 91.

The multimillion-dollar budget for the alliance isn’t supplied by seniors, but by UnitedHealthcare, Aetna and Humana, according to the group’s president and its federal tax returns. The three insurance giants together account for close to 50 percent of all enrollees in private “Medicare Advantage” plans and stand to benefit as that part of Medicare keeps growing.

The organization’s website and Facebook page don’t say where its money comes from, making it easy to miss the industry tie.

Since its establishment in December 2014, the alliance has built its profile. It lobbies Congress and the administration and sponsors research. It has reported spending $370,000 so far this year on lobbying Congress primarily, according to disclosure records. Among other issues, the alliance is seeking the repeal of a tax on health insurers imposed by the Obama-era health care law.