CBO: Obamacare Cuts Your Medicare Benefits

Posted September 23rd, 2009 at 1.02pm in Health Care.

President Barack Obama has promised Americans on multiple occasions that his health care plan would not cut benefits for Medicare enrollees. For example, on August 11th Obama promised: “I just want to be clear, again: Seniors who are listening here, this does not affect your benefits. This is not money going to you to pay for your benefits; this is money that is subsidizing folks who don’t need it.”

We pointed out at the time that Obama’s statement is simply not true. Yesterday, Associated Press reported:

The head of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, Douglas Elmendorf, told senators Tuesday that seniors in Medicare’s managed care plans would see reduced benefits under a bill in the Finance Committee.

The bill would cut payments to the Medicare Advantage plans by more than $100 billion over 10 years.

Elmendorf said the changes would reduce the extra benefits that would be made available to beneficiaries.

Heritage fellow Bob Moffit details just what the benefits are, including:

prescription drug coverage
preventive-care services
coordinated care for chronic conditions
routine physical examinations
additional hospitalization
skilled nursing facility stays
routine eye and hearing examinations
glasses and hearing aids

Moffit continues:

Medicare Advantage has several features that are superior to previous private health plan experiments: an improvement in financing and a greater level of market penetration and stability than Medicare Plus Choice. Most important, it gives senior and disabled citizens new and different private health plan options, more affordable care, and broader and better benefits, including care management programs and prescription drug coverage.
…
While these Medicare Advantage features are substantial improvements over traditional Medicare, the next stage of reform must also make the total program affordable, modernize its insurance arrangements, and improve the delivery of medical services.
…
For future generations to be able to afford Medicare, the program will have to be restructured and reformed. For that reform to be successful, Congress will have to reform the existing payment system and provide a fixed-contribution system of premium support, properly adjusted, for each beneficiary.

Author: Conn Carroll
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September 23, 2009 » Financial News Update – 09/23/09 NoisyRoom.net: Where liberty dwells, there is my country… writes:

[...] CBO: Obamacare Cuts Your Medicare Benefits [...]

September 23, 2009 Fausta’s Blog » Blog Archive » Today’s UN speech, Czarism, and the roundup with VIDEO writes:

[...] CBO: Obamacare Cuts Your Medicare Benefits (video via Ed): [...]

September 24, 2009 Don, Michigan writes:

Another lie generated by #44. This one lies every time he opens his mouth. Nothing but a smiley face liar, lying thru his teeth. Can’t stand to listen to or look at him.

September 24, 2009 Bob, Portland, OR writes:

Are you paying attention senior citizens?

Are you paying attention children of senior citizen? How are you going to feel when your parents can’t the necessary treatment they need?

Viva La 2010

September 24, 2009 Mike Parker writes:

I see no reason the government to be paying for all of the above, period. Do you think that is what our framers of the constitution had in mind when they studied the 4-5000 years of failed governments prior to writing it?
Any conversation that states or relates to government control is wrongheaded in the first place. Government mandates are the lowest common denominator and should be stricken from our very thought process.
When will someone in the system speak up and defend our constitution and why it was written the way it was written.
The progressives and some conservatives say it is a living instrument, NO IT IS NOT. The constitution has to remain rigid, otherwise it will be changed as it has since the early 1900s. Democracies (vs a representative government for those that don’t know the difference) and Socialism and their ilk will prevail if we are protectors of it.
God Bless

September 24, 2009 LB, Lowell MI writes:

EVERYONE should be paying attention, no matter your age, because eventually we will ALL be senior citizens, and this will affect us. Also, think how the tremendous COST of this will affect our children, grandchildren, etc. This gov’t takeover and controlling of ALL healthcare should alarm us all and must be stopped. We can fix things that need fixing without wrecking the entire system for everyone for generations to come.

September 24, 2009 CBO: Obamacare Cuts Your Medicare Benefits » The Foundry « Eastaustinvoice’s Weblog writes:

[...] September 24, 2009 · Leave a Comment CBO: Obamacare Cuts Your Medicare Benefits » The Foundry. [...]

September 24, 2009 Cheri, Marysville, CA writes:

That is why seniors needed that “End of Life” Counseling.
Please WAKE-UP America! If you open your eyes, you too can see the deceit and subversion. Without FREEDOM and LIBERTY life is NO fun. The government cannot and will not help you, they will only enslave you. Be BRAVE. Stand up and take care of yourself, demand you neighbor be responsible too. Keep it local and personal. If you know people who TRULY can’t take care of themselves, help them. Volunteer, teach, no resting on your laurels not matter what the other guy is doing. A collection of individuals handling their business is very powerful. They can make their own decisions and don’t NEED the Federal gov to help. It is awsome to say NO thank you Uncle Sam. We got this. Go back to Washington. Would it be awesome to reduce the size of government with lack of interest?! Just dreaming…..

September 24, 2009 Earl, Ashland, Oregon writes:

I would like anyone, everyone one and all who voted for and support this fiat president to look into the mirrior each morning. When doing this you will see an idiot.

September 24, 2009 John Rosky Andover,Mn writes:

Obama and the dems could not manage a pay toilet.

September 24, 2009 Jill, California writes:

Bob, you raise a good question that people have been ignoring for a long time in the debate over the financial impact of Obama’s programs. How do these costs affect other family members?

When seniors can’t get the medical care they need, the burden will fall on their children. The burden may come in many forms, from paying a parent’s medical bills out-of-pocket to assuming the role of primary caregiver because the family can’t afford a skilled nursing facility. This adds enormous stress to the family. And it drains the family’s financial reserves.

Then guess what. When that senior’s offspring become seniors themselves, they are in worse financial shape than they would have been otherwise. They become a bigger burden on society and/or their own children. The cost of caring for them is greater than it would have been. And so the cycle continues.

Obama was lying when he promised tax cuts for those at the lower end of the income spectrum. (No surprise there. He lies about everything.) However, there is no such thing as a tax cut. Every “tax cut” is merely a shifting of the financial burden. If a “tax cut” results in reduced government services, we pick up the costs by way of increased fees or direct out-of-pocket expenses. While Obama is busy arguing about the Merriam-Webster definition of “tax,” we’re still bleeding out financially.

I’m not very smart when it comes to finances. And I suck at math. But even I’m sharp enough to understand these basic financial concepts. Why can’t Congress understand it?

September 24, 2009 J N Zolnierek writes:

Change We Can Believe In …. translation … Watch What I am Saying over here ….BUT not what I am actually doing over there!!

September 24, 2009 don hood, san antonio tx writes:

The total lack of ethics and integrity of our elected represenatives is past comprehension. Hope we can vote these
incomptent selfserving Executive and Legislative demigods out in 2010 and try to repair (save)our country.

September 24, 2009 John, Miami writes:

It is actually painful to listen to the President’s repeated lies. In the same breath, he says he will cut billions from Medicare, eliminate subsidies to “Advantage” plans and not affect health care access or benefits to seniors.

When he eliminates “Advantage” plans, he will either raise deductibles, reduce benefits, or both. Worse, according to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, when Humana attempted to inform their Medicare clients of concerns with the health care legislation, an investigation was requested and other “Advantage” insurers were told “…to stop communicating with their clients about the affects of a piece of legislation that’s before us – even telling them what they can and cannot post on their web-sites…” Then the “icing on the cake” when Senator Jim Bunning’s proposal to have the bill published on the web 72 hours before a vote, was defeated.

When is enough enough? Let’s start in 2010, loudly answering that question.

September 24, 2009 mackp writes:

I’m 58 year Marine and not in the best of health. I’m trying to figure out who they will send to me to give me advice on should I live or just go away quietly. Bad news for someone I have never been a very quiet person. Semper Fi

September 24, 2009 duelles, santa fe writes:

This president is a liar about his programs. But he is doing exactly what he promised to do during the campaign.

The truly scary thing is that people voted for him. He, Pelosi and Reid will be doing everything to block alternatives, reasonable ammendments and good change to our health care bills.

Please, do everything politically possible as individuals to thwart his efforts. If a village is a collection of individuals, then let us all become a village.

September 25, 2009 SONNY-CHES.VA. writes:

FIX THE PROBLEM ,NOT MAKE IT WORSE. CUTTING A PLAN ,THAT THE LARGE MAJORITY ARE PLEASED WITH. IT HAS BECOME A BIG PRACTICE IN GOVERMENT TODAY TO DO WHAT-EVER THEY WANT. NOT ONLY IN HEALTH-CARE,BUT I LIKE MY COUNTRY THE WAY IT IS,NOT WANTING THIS SOCIALIST CHANGE. NEXT THERE WILL BE RIOT,S IN THE STREET’S OF D.C.,NOT “PEACE MARCHES”

September 26, 2009 Lynn B. DeSpain writes:

If it is such a good thing, why did the Government place a Gag Order on Humana?
Hozro

September 27, 2009 Tricia, Arizona writes:

When Joe Wilson yelled out “You lie!” during the president’s speech, he was speaking for those of us, who at home could not be heard. I believe what he said was entirely appropriate. “Bravo!, Joe”. I’m proud of you. Wish there were more of you.

September 27, 2009 Rochelle, Colorado writes:

Just when seniors had some choice, whoosh! It’s over. Why can’t a senior have a private insurance plan? Because, when you turn 65 y/o, you are enrolled in Medicare. They call you! Medicare is such a poor payer. A doctor can wait 6 months before he gets paid. Medicare pays him/her on their schedule, not the doctor’s fee. This has caused some doctors to refuse Medicare patients. So what now? All of us are will have limited choices! This time next year, it will be time to remove some bad apples from our government! We must all research the candidates and vote very carefully! For now we still have a choice!!

September 29, 2009 kenneth Longmont CO writes:

People paid social security for years, then when they reached 65 they were told “sorry sucker” we changed the age requirement.
Now the same bunch who changed the age requirnent of SS are going to tell you,” Sorry sucker, we are cutting your benefits, if you cannot pay , let Jr. pay”. What a bunch of law makers.

September 30, 2009 Marilyn, Florida writes:

Keep letting them know to leave our medicare advantage programs alone. We seniors vote and I hope they get the message soon.

October 8, 2009 Morning Bell: Competition, Not Price-Controls, Will Save Medicare | Conservative Principles Now writes:

[...] promised our nation’s seniors earlier this year. Problem is, as we have pointed out many times, this is simply not true: Obamacare will absolutely cause reduced Medicare benefits for Seniors. [...]

October 10, 2009 Chris, Colorado writes:

I pray for America. God will judge this nation.

October 16, 2009 Patricia Smith, Oregon writes:

The article clearly states the CUTS are to the PROFITS of the insurance companies who provide MEDICARE ADVANTAGE.
NOT MEDICARE. These are two separate things. MEDICARE ADVANTAGE IS A PRIVATE, AND COSTLY SUPPLEMENTAL INSURANCE, IT IS NOT MEDICARE. THEY ARE TRYING TO DECEIVE YOU, THERE WILL BE NO CUTS TO MEDICARE…NONE.
PLEASE READ THE ARTICLE AGAIN, IT SAYS CUTS TO THE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM, THAT IS NOT MEDICARE.

October 23, 2009 LARRY HEMET CALIFORNIA writes:

I’LL KEEP MY MONEY, GUNS AND RIGHT’S
YOU CAN KEEP “THE CHANGE”

October 30, 2009 Will Camp Brunswick, Ga writes:

Medicare Benefits will not be changed or cut. Benefits are protected by law. Anyone who tells you they will be cut are lying. They are trying to scare senior citizens and are despicable human beings. Probably a politican or lawyer or both.

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