Medicare benefits are revealed After cutting benefits to the popular Medicare Advantage program ahead of the election, it is seen as an election hot topic, putting President Biden in a precarious position with senior voters.
“I won’t cut a dime from Social Security or Medicare, which Joe Biden is destroying by letting millions of people come into our country. He’s destroying Medicare and Social Security,” Trump said during his rally on the campus of Temple University in Philadelphia last weekend, setting the stage for his ongoing attacks against his 2024 opponent.
,Joe Biden backs cuts to Medicare Advantage For the last two years. Did you know? He’s cut your Medicare Advantage, which is a total betrayal of seniors. And just check, you’ll see it. He’s cut you for two years in a row.”
Medicare was again cited during the first presidential debate of the election cycle on Thursday, where, amid a poor performance by Biden, he said, “We finally defeated Medicare” and stumbled over his words.
“He’s right, he defeated Medicare, completely defeated it,” Trump responded. “And he’s destroying Medicare because there are so many people coming in, they’re putting them on Medicare, they’re putting them on Social Security.”
Former President Trump took aim at President Biden for claiming he was at Ground Zero after the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001. Trump visited the site in New York City a few days after the Twin Towers were attacked. (Getty Images)
Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, in particular, are private health insurance plans that contract with Medicare, and are used by more than 33 million Americans. The program mostly enrolls adults over the age of 65, but it also offers benefits to people of all ages, including people with disabilities. In contrast, traditional Medicare is a federal health insurance program for adults over the age of 65, as well as younger individuals with disabilities.
Biden hopes seniors won’t feel this cut in their benefits before the election
In April, the Biden administration finalized plans to cut MA benefits, which experts said could cost enrollees an additional $33 per month or $396 annually. Critics of the cuts said it would be particularly devastating for seniors living on fixed incomes who are already struggling with ongoing inflation.
Fox News Digital spoke to Ann Marie Burkle, a former nurse, Republican New York congresswoman and chairwoman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, who said the cuts could prove devastating to the Biden administration, as the 46th president The fever is at its peak this election cycle,
Berkley said, “By letting far-left socialists control his policy agenda, Biden has made a huge mistake that will endanger his support of the 33 million Americans enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans who will see their premiums rise, co-pays increase, and benefits decrease before November.”
President Biden speaks about his administration’s plans to protect Social Security and Medicare and reduce health care costs at the University of Tampa in Florida on February 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
The cuts come at a time when the left-wing wing of Congress is pushing “Medicare for All” legislation that would establish a universal single-payer national health insurance system. Buerkle said the Biden administration’s cuts this year “will actively seek to reduce the cost of Medicare and Medicaid.” This is likely a covert effort to promote a government-centric system such as “Medicare for All.”
“Left-wing ideologues like Elizabeth Warren hate the success of Medicare Advantage as a public-private partnership because it undermines their argument for government-run healthcare, also known as ‘Medicare for All.’ Biden has actively engaged these left-wing ideologues in his administration. Demolition M.A. “So that they can carry forward the government-run model and achieve their socialist agenda,” he said.
A similar sentiment was expressed in an article by Ryan Walker, executive vice president of Heritage Action, published by Fox News Digital in May.
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“Biden and his allies want a more government-run, fee-for-service ‘Medicare for all’ by cutting MA — which would mean fewer options for physicians and coverage, such as vision and hearing. Recently, progressive leader Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., and a coalition of 59 far-left House Democrats sent a letter to Biden arguing for ‘strengthening traditional Medicare’ and ‘redirecting funds that are wrongly going to MA,'” Walker wrote.
The Biden administration said that “claims that this administration is seeking cuts to Medicare are completely false” and “misinformed”, and added that “protecting Medicare is a key priority for President Biden and one of our top priorities at HHS.”
“These are selective numbers. Under the rates announced, payments to Medicare Advantage plans are expected to increase by 3.7% next year, which equates to more than $16 billion. The $16 billion increase is not a cut,” the White House told Fox News Digital.
“Leave it to wealthy insurance companies and industry leader groups to characterize this year’s increase in Medicare Advantage payments as a cut. The misinformation being spread by high-paid industry people and their allies is harming Medicare beneficiaries and the Medicare Trust Fund.”
The administration further said it proposed a 1% increase in payments to insurers that provide Medicare Advantage to “ensure that they receive fair and appropriate compensation for the services their enrollees receive.”
“As we are proposing a 1% percentage point increase in payments for 2024, recovering overpayments from insurers is not a reduction in payments – any such claim is clearly false.”
President Biden during the first presidential debate of the 2024 elections between him and former President Trump, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Atlanta. (Kevin D. Liles, The Washington Post, via Getty Images)
Buerkle wrote in an editorial this year that Medicare benefits “A winning issue for RepublicansHe added, “The states that voted for Trump in 2016 but voted for Biden in 2020 — Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — are home to the majority of seniors who receive their health care through MAs.
“51% of Medicare-eligible Americans chose MA, and that number is growing every year. Nearly all of them report satisfaction with the program. So, for 51% of seniors, Medicare Advantage is Medicare, so cuts to the program are equivalent to cuts to Medicare. Trump understands that rising cost of health care It’s a stupid idea to target society’s most vulnerable populations before an election. Other Republicans should follow his lead,” Buerkle told Fox News Digital.
MA plans are overwhelmingly supported by enrollees, with a 2021 analysis finding that 90% of enrollees report they are satisfied with the plan. Biden also promised during his State of the Union address in March that he would protect Social Security and Medicare from any cuts.
“Tonight, let’s all agree once again to stand up for seniors. Many of my friends on the other side of the aisle want to eliminate Social Security. If anyone here tries to cut Social Security or Medicare or raise the retirement age, I will stop you,” Biden said during the State of the Union.
Former President Trump has said, “I wouldn’t cut a dime from Social Security or Medicare.” (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
,Not only will these cuts increase out-of-pocket costs for seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans by an average of $396 next year, but cuts to Medicare Advantage will also hurt Medicare’s solvency, as it Less costly to the federal government than original Medicare And studies have shown that Medicare Advantage can help increase Medicare solvency 17 years“MA provides the same benefits as original Medicare for only 83 cents per dollar,” Buerkle said.
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The cuts have been heavily criticized by Republicans and conservatives, who said in April that seniors on fixed incomes would face even more financial stress.
President Biden speaks during a campaign event in Philadelphia on April 18, 2024. (Hanna Beyer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“America’s seniors are among the most vulnerable in our society. Most of them live on a fixed income — Biden’s inflation is a built-in tax on everything they buy. Now, he’s raising the price of the Advantage plan — a plan that millions of seniors depend on,” Texas Senator Ted Cruz posted on X. “This is unacceptable.”
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,President Trump kept his promise “President Trump pledged to protect Social Security and Medicare in his first term, and President Trump will continue to strongly defend Social Security and Medicare in his second term,” Trump campaign national press secretary Carolyn Levitt told Fox News Digital.
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“The only candidate who poses a threat to Social Security and Medicare is Joe Biden — whose massive invasion of millions of illegal aliens, if allowed to remain, will undermine and collapse Social Security and Medicare. By unleashing American energy, slashing job-killing regulations, and embracing pro-growth America First tax and trade policies, President Trump will rebuild the greatest economy in history and put Social Security and Medicare on solid ground for generations to come.”
Axios reported earlier this year that Biden administration officials believe benefits will remain stable for enrollees until next year. However, researchers said the Biden campaign was taking a gamble with the cuts ahead of the election.
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“President Biden’s team is betting that MA beneficiaries won’t realize before the election what benefits Biden’s team is depriving them of in January 2025,” Raymond James analyst Chris Meekins told the outlet.
