Governor, resident commissioner unite to push Medicare Advantage bill

Gov. Jenniffer González Colón, left, and Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration Executive Director Gabriella Boffelli (Facebook via Jenniffer González Colón)

By THE STAR STAFF

Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration Executive Director Gabriella Boffelli on Tuesday emphasized the strong collaboration between Gov. Jenniffer González Colón and Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández Rivera in successfully advancing House Resolution (HR) 6031, the Medicare Advantage Integrity Act, in the U.S. Congress.

The achievement, she said, was made possible through bipartisan support and aims to further a congressional agenda that benefits the people of Puerto Rico.

“The [resident] Commissioner has acknowledged the positive initiatives spearheaded by the governor during her congressional tenure and has continued to advocate for the benefit of the people,” said Boffelli, who served as González Colón’s chief of staff during her time as resident commissioner. “We are committed to working together to ensure that these important measures progress through the federal legislative process.”

One of the key measures introduced by Hernández Rivera is HR 2632, the TRICARE Equality Act. The initiative, originally proposed by former Gov. Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia during his time as resident commissioner, seeks to expand TRICARE Prime health benefits to military personnel, veterans and their families in Puerto Rico. While serving as resident commissioner, González Colón successfully advocated for an amendment in the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act that requested that the Department of Defense gather crucial data needed to extend TRICARE Prime health care benefits to the island, ensuring that retired military personnel and their families receive equal support to those in the states. The effort has established a solid foundation for advancing the bill in subsequent years.

Additionally, the resident commissioner has introduced three other measures that were originally championed by González Colón during her congressional term:

1. HR 1696, the Puerto Rico Low-Income Housing Support Act, aims to revise the U.S. Housing Act of 1937 to redefine the extremely low-income category, thereby increasing eligibility for federal housing programs. Doing so will ensure that Puerto Rico adheres to the same low-income standards as the rest of the United States. The reintroduction of the measure reinforces the governor’s ongoing advocacy in Congress for broader access to federal housing programs in Puerto Rico, addressing the housing shortage and the need for more affordable and accessible options for low-income families. As governor, González Colón remains dedicated to initiatives focused on affordable housing and homeownership, Boffelli noted.

2. HR 5168, the Puerto Rico Nutrition Assistance Fairness Act, aims to transition the Nutritional Assistance Program, known locally as PAN by its acronym in Spanish, to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, widely known as SNAP. This transition is designed to provide greater benefits for food assistance recipients and enhance economic activity, aligning Puerto Rico with the states, Washington, D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam. With more than 200 organizations endorsing the measure, which has garnered bipartisan support, Boffelli pointed out, the governor continues to advocate for this transition in Congress, ensuring Puerto Rico is prepared for it.

3. HR 6031, the Medicare Advantage Integrity Act of 2025, seeks to increase Medicare Advantage payments and eliminate disparities in provider payments, ultimately improving healthcare for more than 670,000 beneficiaries of the program on the island. On Nov. 10, the governor reached out to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mehmet Oz, urging them to provide stronger support for the Medicare Advantage program for Puerto Rico’s seniors. She has also engaged with CMS to advocate for necessary administrative adjustments that reflect the medical cost realities in the U.S. territory and address the urgent need to retain specialists and healthcare providers.