By DOUG ROGALLA | KendallĀ 

In Wisconsin, over 500,000 seniors like me depend on Medicare Advantage to help us stay healthy and keep our healthcare costs down. That is why it is important for our leaders in Washington D.C. to understand these benefits and protect this important program.

For those who may not know, the Medicare Advantage program is an option given to seniors that goes above and beyond original Medicare. Covering what original Medicare does, Medicare Advantage plans also offers things like vision and dental coverage, annual out-of-pocket maximums, annual check-ups and nurse wellness calls, all for no or a small monthly premium. 

For the hundreds of thousands of seniors in Wisconsin on an Advantage plan, that means we can focus on staying healthy and having the peace of mind in knowing that we can live on fixed incomes and have some certainty in healthcare costs.

Medicare Advantage has a history of bipartisan support, and it needs to stay that way. We need all members of Congress to stand up and protect this program, including our own Congressman Kind.

Seniors like me expect our members of Congress to support the Advantage program that so many of us depend on.