CONGRESSIONAL PROFILES: MEDICARE ADVANTAGE
Sen.
Shelley Moore Capito
(R-WV)
CHAMBER
U.S. Senate
COMMITTEE
Senate Republican Policy Committee (4th-ranking Senate Republican)
THE RECORD
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito has represented West Virginia in the U.S. Senate since 2015, after serving 14 years in the U.S. House of Representatives. She is currently the fourth highest-ranking Republican in the Senate, making her one of the most powerful champions Medicare Advantage has in Congress. Capito has put her influence to work for seniors more than once — speaking out when the program came under threat, organizing colleagues across party lines to defend it, and backing legislation that protects the benefits and access that Medicare Advantage members depend on.
Why it Matters
West Virginia has one of the oldest populations in the country, and Capito has made clear she understands what Medicare Advantage means to the people she represents.
ON THE RECORD
Capito co-led a group of 61 senators from both parties in sending a letter to federal health officials expressing strong support for Medicare Advantage — one of the most significant shows of bipartisan backing for the program in recent years.
Capito co-sponsored the Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act, a bipartisan bill to reduce unnecessary delays in Medicare Advantage coverage approvals, making it easier for seniors to get the care they need when they need it.
S. 1816 – Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act of 2025
When the Biden administration proposed cutting Medicare Advantage funding, Capito pushed back publicly and directly, stating: "the administration wants to cut Medicare Advantage." She has consistently put seniors first when the program comes under threat.