General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAnybody else receive this email? Need help debunking it.
When Obama says Romney/Ryan wants to cut Medicare remember this video...........
Watch this short 2 minute video and pass it on to all the seniors you know. Medicare Advantage cuts begin in mid-October of this year. Seniors vote, and they need to know this cut is coming before the election. Time is running out for seniors unaware of this.
Transparency in action? I think you should know this. President's $8 Billion Coincidence
Forward this to every senior you know and ask them to pass this along. Very important they all know what is going to happen.....
Remember what FDR said, "There are no coincidences in politics..."
Click here: The President's $8 Billion Coincidence | myBrainshark <http://my.brainshark.com/The-President-s-8-Billion-Coincidence-356086344>
NMDemDist2
(49,313 posts)The end result?
Seniors who are no longer interested in Medicare Advantage programs, now that they can receive free physicals and diagnostic tests by signing up directly with Medicare, and are getting much better benefits towards filling the pharmaceutical donut hole, will now save the cost of the added premium charges they have been paying for these extra benefits. Meanwhile, the American taxpayer saves billions upon billions in the subsidies weve been paying to these Medicare Advantage programs to feather their profits.
Further, seniors who would like to continue in Medicare Advantage programs for full pharmaceutical protection until this is fully resolved in 2020, along with dental and vision coverage and, yes, continued health club membership, can at least for this year and likely well into the future do so paying one percent less than what they were paying last year.
Not so bad after all.
long article, worth the read
Booster
(10,021 posts)read the entire article since their attention span is about a minute and a half, so I really appreciate the end result part. I knew I could count on someone at DU to debunk this. Again, thanks.
DURHAM D
(32,595 posts)please learn the difference between Medicare Advantage (private) and regular Medicare. Then realize that the insurance companies (Medicare Advantage) have been compensated at a higher rate for the same procedures. IOWs - benefits for seniors Do No Change but insurance company profits go down. That is a good thing.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,280 posts)The Medicare Advantage cut gets the most attention, but it only accounts for about a third of the Affordable Care Acts spending reduction. Another big chunk comes from the hospitals. The health law changed how Medicare calculates what they get reimbursed for various services, slightly lowering their rates over time. Hospitals agreed to these cuts because they knew, at the same time, they would likely see an influx of paying patients with the Affordable Care Acts insurance expansion.
The rest of the Affordable Care Acts Medicare cuts are a lot smaller. Reductions to Medicares Disproportionate Share Payments extra funds doled out the hospitals that see more uninsured patients account for 5 percent in savings. Lower payments to home health providers make up another 8.8 percent. About a dozen cuts of this magnitude make up the green section above.
Its worth noting that theres one area these cuts dont touch: Medicare benefits. The Affordable Care Act rolls back payment rates for hospitals and insurers. It does not, however, change the basket of benefits that patients have access to. And, as Ezra pointed out earlier today, the Ryan budget would keep these cuts in place.
Booster
(10,021 posts)SheilaT
(23,156 posts)I have grown to love the Medicare Advantage plans, because they made everything far simpler for me.
I'm a year away from Medicare myself, and believe me, I'm going to carefully research the Advantage plans.
It may be that any number of them will simply go away if the insurance companies can't make as much money from them.
Booster
(10,021 posts)out also. If it offers dental and vision insurance it would help me a lot.
Sperry27
(1 post) Medicare is a government insurance program
Part A and B are funded by the US Government
All Medicare beneficiary health services are 100% privately provided
Both political parties cut $716 billion from Medicare
The cuts are adjustments in payment growth to Medicare providers
According to the CBO, the 10-year cuts includes the growth of payments for the following:
$260 billion in hospital reimbursements
$156 billion in reduced payments to Medicare Advantage plans
$ 39 billion for skilled nursing services
$ 66 billion for home health
$ 17 billion for hospice services
Its original adjustments were projected to be $538 billion in savings
Now its savings are projected to be $716 billion
Republicans keep the money for the insurance companies
Insurance companies get $970 per month for each beneficiary in their Advantage program (9% more than a traditional Medicare beneficiary)
The beneficiary is out of Medicare but protected by Medicare requirements
Democrats reinvest the money for benefits to seniors
Cuts money to insurance companies and hospitals not benefits
Closes the donut hole so your drugs will be significantly cheaper
This the single biggest annual cost for a senior
Medicare will cover cancer screenings and annual checkups
Who protects Medicare?
The Republicans will let the program go bankrupt in 2016
Costs go up and lose benefits
Democrats extend the date to 2024
Medicare has choices and means testing
In South Carolina we have a choice of 44 of plans
Medicare has had means testing since 2003
For individuals with adjusted income of $80,000 and joint filers with $160,000
So what do the parties protect?
Republicans protect the providers
Continue the fee for service and rely on the private market to control costs
Offer choice
Democrats protect beneficiaries
Instituting fee for results and use government policy to control costs
Offer stability
Most beneficiaries want stability not choices
75% of todays senior choose stability
45% of all Medicare beneficiaries have chronic conditions
The average 65 year old uses 11 medications
Medicare and the Affordable Care Act are laws and frameworks
Neither needs to be repealed
They just need to be modified to reflect the public needs
ACA changes projected growth of medical costs from 6.8% to 3.9%
The real issue is the cost of healthcare
Medicaid is cut by $1.2 Trillion in Ryans budget
Hurts seniors with disabilities and long-term care needs
US medical costs are 33% higher than all developed countries
We spend so much more and have a shorter life expectancy
15% of GDP and live to age 78
Others under 10% of GDP and live 81 -84
http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/up-front/posts/2012/08/15-medicare-cuts-galston
http://www.dartmouthatlas.org/
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/0-2/12/us/entitlement-map.html?ref=us
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/medicare/index.html
http://medpac.gov/documents/Jun12DataBookEntireReport.pdf
http://www.kff.org/medicare/
Booster
(10,021 posts)And welcome to DU - you're going to be a real asset around here.