CONGRESSIONAL PROFILES: MEDICARE ADVANTAGE
Sen.
Jeff Merkley
(D-OR)
CHAMBER
U.S. Senate
COMMITTEE
Senate Budget Committee and Senate Appropriations Committee
THE RECORD
Sen. Jeff Merkley has represented Oregon in the U.S. Senate since 2009. He is the top Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee and holds a senior seat on the committee that controls federal health spending. That combination makes him one of the most powerful voices working against Medicare Advantage in Congress today. Merkley has called the program "fraud, waste and abuse" and has worked to cut the payments that fund the benefits Medicare Advantage offers beyond what traditional Medicare covers — benefits like dental, vision, hearing care and help coordinating treatment across doctors.
Why it Matters
For the more than 35 million Americans enrolled in Medicare Advantage, his efforts are a direct threat to the coverage they rely on every day.
ON THE RECORD
Merkley is the lead sponsor of the No UPCODE Act, a bill that would cut payments to Medicare Advantage plans by eliminating critical access to in-home care. Lower payments mean less money available for the extra benefits and coordinated care that make Medicare Advantage valuable for seniors.
In March 2026, Merkley led a letter to federal health officials urging them to reduce payments to Medicare Advantage plans — continuing a persistent push to cut the funding that supports senior benefits.
In April 2026, Merkley signed onto a second letter calling for even further restrictions on Medicare Advantage plan payments and operations — making clear that reducing this program is a sustained priority, not a one-time position.