HHS says the ads, featuring the actor Andy Griffith, are part of a routine campaign to inform seniors about changes in Medicare coverage during the program’s open enrollment period, which begins Nov. 15. The ads discuss the benefits of closing the prescription drug “doughnut hole” and new coverage for an annual wellness visit, which are both parts of the reform law.
The letter, signed by Ways and Means Ranking Member Dave Camp (R-Mich.) and health subcommittee Ranking Member Wally Herger (R-Calif.), requests information on how much HHS spent on similar pre-enrollment ads in the past, where those ads ran, where they’re running now and why the ads aren’t running nationwide.
“As you know, it would be highly inappropriate and perhaps illegal if HHS used taxpayer funds to purchase advertisements in areas of the country with the intent of impacting competitive Congressional races leading up to the election,” the lawmakers write.
Read the Hill report on healthcare reform.
Read more coverage on healthcare reform.
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