Congress’ chief budget officer is contradicting President Barack Obama’s oft-stated claim that seniors wouldn’t see their Medicare benefits cut under a health care overhaul.
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. Read More
UPDATED: 24 SEPT
The Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday defeated an amendment to health-care legislation that likely would have spared private Medicare Advantage plans from any subsidy cuts under the bill.
The amendment, offered by Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, would have required a certification that the bill’s section on privately run Medicare plans, which are known as Medicare Advantage plans, would not result in any benefit reductions from those who are enrolled in the private plans. If it was found that benefit reductions would occur, the bill’s language on Medicare Advantage would be eliminated.
Hatch’s amendment was defeated by a 14-9 vote, with all of the panel’s Democrats and Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, voting against it.
Seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans may well lose some extra benefits they now receive, because a competitive bidding provision in the bill is expected to result in reductions in payments to private insurers that run the plans. Because of that, Hatch’s amendment likely would have kept Medicare Advantage plans untouched under the bill. Read More
There you go seniors…Obama has lied again and again to you!Young Americans is this what you want for your mother, father, and grandparents who brought you into this World and provided for you until old enough for you to take care of self. Is this how we treat seniors?
