>> for many years now, going back to 2001, medpack had recommended reducing the medicare advantage rates. we believed that reducing them would steel leave arm resources for a well-run, high value plan to do very well in serving the medicare population. i've been senior executive in such a plan. i've run a medical group that had a lot of medicare. it was back then medicare plus choice. this was premedicare advantage. i know a little bit about such programs from the delivery side. just increasing the rate was done by the congress does not assure a robust medicare plan. in fact, in crucial wayings it undermines it. by allowing signaling to plans, as the rates got very, very high, relative to fifa services, we had a large influx of private fifa service plans that were adding very little, if any value to the medicare program but that was not in the interest of the medicare advantage program. to allow low value performers to do very well. if you reduce the rate, yes you make it more difficult in the first instance. but it's also the spur to finding ways to do things better that is needed. that