Medicare Blog

how much did obama take from medicare to pay for obamacare

by Roslyn Medhurst Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
image

How much did Obamacare cut from Medicare?

By contrast, Obamacare cut $716 billion from Medicare in order to fund $1.9 trillion in new health care spending, through the law’s expansion of Medicaid and its new subsidized exchanges.

Did Obama steal $500 billion out of Medicare under Obamacare?

Congress passed the law through its normal process, and the cost reductions for Medicare were out in the open during the many weeks that the final law was being negotiated. Bachmann said that, "We know that President Obama stole over $500 billion out of Medicare to switch it over to Obamacare."

How much did the Affordable Care Act cost Medicare?

Seven hundred and sixteen billion dollars, funneled out of Medicare by President Obama. We're probably going to be talking about the Affordable Care Act a lot between now and November. So it's worth taking a look at what actually pays for the health-care law and what that means for the future of Medicare and other programs.

How much will Obamacare cost in total?

The tax credits and other cost-sharing subsidies are estimated to cost $350 billion over 10 years, while the Medicaid expansion costs $434 billion, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Those two initiatives add up to more than $500 billion.

image

Where did the money come from for Obamacare?

Under the ACA, the federal government pays 100 percent of the coverage costs for those newly insured under Medicaid expansion. After 2016, the federal share shrinks to 90 percent, which is still considerably more than the pre-ACA level.

How much did Obamacare cost the US government?

The Affordable Care Act has failed Without that extra money, it's simply a bad deal. Also prior to this year, ACA subsidies cost taxpayers about $50 billion a year. And yet they led to only about 2 million people gaining exchange-plan coverage. That's a small number in a nation of 330 million.

What did Obamacare do to Medicare?

Medicare Premiums and Prescription Drug Costs The ACA closed the Medicare Part D coverage gap, or “doughnut hole,” helping to reduce prescription drug spending. It also increased Part B and D premiums for higher-income beneficiaries. The Bipartisan Budget Act (BBA) of 2018 modified both of these policies.

What was the Affordable Care Act passed by Obama?

the Patient Protection and Affordable Care ActPresident Obama signs the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, a historic piece of legislation designed to expand health insurance coverage and regulate insurance industry practices.

Did Obamacare increase taxes?

It's been estimated that the ACA will raise taxes by $813 billion over 10 years. Over 12 of these new taxes will be on families making less than $250,000 a year.

Is Obamacare federally funded?

Subtle Differences. The majority of people buying Obamacare health insurance get help paying for it in the form of subsidies from the federal government,6 so it can be confusing as to how government-subsidized private health insurance (Obamacare) is really all that different from government-funded Medicaid.

Was ObamaCare a good thing?

Conclusion. The ACA has helped millions of Americans gain insurance coverage, saved thousands of lives, and strengthened the health care system. The law has been life-changing for people who were previously uninsured, have lower incomes, or have preexisting conditions, among other groups.

Has the Affordable Care Act been successful?

The ACA was intended to expand options for health coverage, reform the insurance system, increase coverage for services (particularly preventive services), and provide a funding stream to improve quality of services. By any metric, it has been wildly successful. Has it improved coverage? Indisputably, yes.

Did ObamaCare expand Medicare?

Obamacare's expanded Medicare preventive coverage applies to all Medicare beneficiaries, whether they have Original Medicare or a Medicare Advantage plan.

What did Obama do for the country?

Major acts and legislationResponding to the Great Recession. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. ... Wall Street reform. Credit CARD Act of 2009. ... Taxation and spending. Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010. ... 2013 debt ceiling crisis and government shutdown.

Who opposed the Affordable Care Act?

Republican congressmen, governors, and Republican candidates have consistently opposed the ACA and have vowed to repeal it. Polls have consistently shown that it is supported by <50% of Americans.

Why did many oppose the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act?

Because so many Americans, especially Republicans, distrust the federal government, it is not surprising that they also oppose the ACA. In a Pew poll in 2014,18 80% of those who opposed the ACA said a major reason was “too much government involvement in health care.”

How much did Obama cut from Medicare?

A recent advertisement from the Romney-Ryan campaign claims that “Obama Cut $716 billion from Medicare… to pay for Obamacare.” It continues by claiming that “The Romney-Ryan plan protects Medicare benefits for today’s seniors and strengthens the plan for the next generation.”

What would Ryan's budget repeal?

Chairman Ryan’s budget would repeal the coverage provisions of the ACA, but would keep most of the $716 billion in Medicare cuts. In addition, Chairman Ryan’s budget would retain the $88 billion in Medicare cuts from the “ sequester ” (from a 2% across-the-board provider reduction) and calls for some additional Medicare cuts.

Is Medicare a premium support system?

Governor Romney and Congressman Ryan support implementing a premium support system in Medicare for those currently below the age of 55 (when they reach eligibility), which could result in substantial long-term savings.

Did Obamacare cut Medicare?

It is true that the Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”, or the ACA) cut Medicare spending to finance a new health program. The number that the Romney-Ryan ad cites is from a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report that estimates repealing the ACA would increase Medicare spending by $716 billion through 2022. This funding was used primarily ...

Will Medicare be kept under the ACA?

Although some lawmakers may not want to retain all of the Medicare reductions from the ACA, many of them stem from ideas with broad bipartisan support – particularly in the policy community – and should at least be kept on the table as we consider ways to slow the growth of Medicare.

Did Obama use Medicare savings?

President Obama supported using most of the $716 billion in Medicare savings to help pay for coverage expansion, and supports enacting further savings for deficit reduction. Congressman Ryan supports largely retaining those same Medicare savings, but repealing the coverage expansions and using the money – along with addition savings – for deficit reduction. Governor Romney believes those Medicare reductions, along with coverage expansions, should be reversed – and has not made any significant short-term Medicare proposals for deficit reduction.

How much did Obama steal from Medicare?

Bachmann said that, "We know that President Obama stole over $500 billion out of Medicare to switch it over to Obamacare.".

How much money does Medicare save?

Other savings include $36 billion from increases in premiums for higher-income beneficiaries and $12 billion from administrative changes.

What is the health care law?

To begin with, the health care law leaves in place the major insurance systems: employer-provided insurance, Medicare for seniors and Medicaid for the poor. It attempts to reduce the number of uninsured by expanding Medicaid for the very poor and by offering tax breaks to help people with modest incomes buy insurance.

What is the new spending on Medicare?

Mostly, the new spending in the health care law comes from tax credits to help people of modest incomes buy health insurance and from expanding Medicaid to offer coverage to the poor.

How much will Medicare cost in 2020?

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projects Medicare spending will reach $929 billion in 2020, up from $499 billion in actual spending in 2009. So while the health care law reduces the amount of future spending growth in Medicare, the law doesn't cut current funding for Medicare.

What did Bachmann say about Obama?

She also took the opportunity to criticize the new health care law championed by President Barack Obama, saying, "We know that President Obama stole over $500 billion out ...

Who criticized the Supreme Court decision to uphold the ACA?

Says Amy Coney Barrett “has a written track record, disagreeing adamantly with the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the ACA. In fact, she publicly criticized Chief Justice Roberts’ opinion upholding the law eight years ago.”

How much money was robbed from Medicare to fund Obamacare?

Huckabee said, "$700 billion was robbed (from Medicare) to fund Obamacare.". It’s an old claim and an old figure. The law does reduce Medicare spending, but not in the way Huckabee suggests.

Why did private insurers run Medicare?

Under President George W. Bush, private insurers began to run a subset of Medicare plans with the idea that more competition produced lower costs. However, those plans grew to cost more than traditional Medicare, so the Affordable Care Act pared down the payments to private insurers.

Can Medicare beneficiaries have additional costs?

It’s possible that some beneficiaries could experience additional costs, reductions in service, or fewer hospitals that accept Medicare.

Who was the governor of New Jersey who defended his plan to raise the retirement age and change benefits for Social Security and?

Huckabee's provocative comment concluded a wonkish back-and-forth between him and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie about entitlement reform. Christie defended his plan to raise the retirement age and change benefits for Social Security and Medicare, but Huckabee stressed that Uncle Sam was to blame.

Does Obamacare rob Medicare?

Obamacare doesn’t literally "rob" Medicare. But the Affordable Care Act does include provisions that reduce future increases in Medicare spending. In other words, the law slows down the rising costs of Medicare. It’s also important to note that the savings come at the expense of insurers and hospitals, not beneficiaries.

What percentage of hospitals will be affected by Obamacare cuts?

The Obama administration's own Medicare actuary, Richard Foster, has explained that the Obamacare Medicare cuts could make unprofitable 15 percent of hospitals serving Medicare patients.

Why did Medicare cut the Medicare Advantage rate?

The rationale for cutting Medicare Advantage’s rates is that, prior to Obamacare, the government paid $1.14 per retiree in an MA plan, vs. $1.00 per retiree in a traditional plan. President Obama has called these differences “unwarranted subsidies [that] pad [private insurers’] profits but don’t improve the care of seniors.”

Why did Ryan cut Medicare?

The first is that Ryan’s Medicare cuts were solely used to extend the solvency of the Medicare trust fund, and not to fund new spending elsewhere. By contrast, Obamacare cut $716 billion from Medicare in order to fund $1.9 trillion in new health care spending, through the law’s expansion of Medicaid and its new subsidized exchanges.

How much does Medicare increase heart attacks?

Sarah Kliff cited a study yesterday that showed that every $1,000 that a hospital lost in Medicare reimbursements was associated with a 6-8 percent increase in mortality rates from heart attacks. John Goodman pointed out in the Wall Street Journal that Obamacare’s coverage expansion will not be accompanied by an increase in the supply of doctors, which will lead doctors to focus their time on the privately-insured patients who pay them the best.

Why is Romney's plan for Medicare worse?

Defense #4. The Romney plan for Medicare is worse, because it would shift costs to seniors

Why would the amount of premiums support increase at the rate of inflation?

Because the amount of premiums support would increase at the rate of inflation, where as health-care costs have historically grown at a faster rate , critics have worried that these trends, if continued into the future, would expose seniors to higher health-care costs out-of-pocket.

Does Mitt Romney campaign on the Ryan budget?

The second point is that Mitt Romney is not campaigning on the Ryan budget. He’s campaigning on his own budget, which fully repeals Obamacare, and eliminates that law’s Medicare cuts. APOTHEFACT CONCLUSION: Romney’s budget doesn’t preserve Obamacare’s Medicare cuts. Simple as that. Defense #2.

When was Obamacare signed into law?

Obamacare is another name for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, which was signed into law by President Barack Obama.

What is Medicare?

Medicare provides health insurance to nearly 63 million Americans in 2021. 1

Do I need Medicare or an Obamacare (Marketplace) plan?

When it comes to choosing between Medicare or Obamacare, there’s no single right answer.

What is the ACA?

The ACA is a sweeping series of laws that regulate the US health insurance industry. Medicare is a federal health insurance program for people 65 and older, as well as certain younger people with disabilities or medical conditions. There are several different types of Medicare coverage.

How much is Medicare Part A 2021?

Medicare#N#Most people receive premium-free Medicare Part A. The standard premium for Part B is $148.50 per month in 2021.#N#There are other 2021 costs you may face with Medicare Part A and Part B, such as deductibles, coinsurance and copayments.

What is Medicare for adults?

Medicare, which is a federally-funded health insurance program for adults over age 65 and some younger people with certain disabilities and medical conditions

Is the ACA still in place?

While the ACA remains in place, the tax penalty for not having insurance (called the individual mandate) was repealed in 2019. More than 11.4 million Americans were enrolled in a health insurance plan obtained through the Obamacare Marketplace in 2020. 2.

How much money did Obama take out of Medicare?

They needed more. They needed hundreds of billions more. So, they just took it all away from Medicare. Seven hundred and sixteen billion dollars, funneled out of Medicare by President Obama.

How did Congress pay for the health care law?

There are two broad ways that Congress paid for the health-care law: It cut into government spending and created provisions that raise revenue, giving it the funds necessary to expand insurance to an estimated 32 million Americans. All of those changes are outlined in a July 24 Congressional Budget Office report.

Does the health law cut into the government?

Here's how those changes break down, per the CBO: The health law cuts into government spending, but that's not its only source of funding.

Why did Obamacare cut Medicare?

(Photo credit: Wikipedia) As you know if you’ve been reading this blog, Obamacare cuts $716 billion from Medicare in order to pay for its $1.9 trillion expansion of coverage to low-income Americans. It’s one of the reasons why seniors are more opposed to the new health law than any other age group.

How much did Obamacare save the AARP?

Obamacare, on the other hand, saved the AARP from $1.8 billion in Medigap reforms, while potentially earning the group an additional $1 billion in royalties from seniors who are forced out of Medicare Advantage. That’s a swing of $2.8 billion over ten years, all thanks to Obamacare. "There's an inherent conflict of interest," says Marylin Moon, ...

What is a Medigap plan?

Medigap plans are private insurance plans that seniors buy to cover the things that traditional, government-run Medicare doesn’t, like catastrophic coverage. Medigap plans also help seniors eliminate the co-pays and deductibles that are designed to restrain wasteful Medicare spending.

Why do Democrats excoriate private insurers?

Democrats routinely excoriate private insurers for supposedly putting profits above people. "No American should ever spend their golden years at the mercy of insurance companies," President Obama told the AARP yesterday. But the typical private insurer gets by on a profit margin of about 5 to 6 percent.

Is AARP exempt from premium tax?

AARP plans are exempt from the premium tax levied on other private insurers. IPAB, Medicare’s rationing board, is explicitly barred from altering Medicare’s cost-sharing provisions, provisions that govern the existence of Medigap plans.

Is AARP exempt from Obamacare?

It gets worse. AARP Medigap plans are exempted from most of Obamacare’s best-known insurance mandates. AARP Medigap plans are exempted from the ban that requires insurers to take all comers, regardless of pre-existing conditions. The plans are exempted from the $500,000 cap on insurance industry executive compensation; top AARP executives currently make more than $1 million. AARP plans are exempt from the premium tax levied on other private insurers. IPAB, Medicare’s rationing board, is explicitly barred from altering Medicare’s cost-sharing provisions, provisions that govern the existence of Medigap plans.

Did AARP succeed in getting Democrats to balk at Medigap reform?

Not only did AARP succeed in getting Democrats to balk at Medigap reform . Obamacare’s cuts to Medicare Advantage will drive many seniors out of that program, and into traditional government-run Medicare, which will increase the number of people who need Medigap insurance.

When does Medicare end?

For example, if Medicare will begin May 1, you will want your Marketplace coverage to end April 30. To make this transition, it's important to cancel your Marketplace policy at least 15 days before you want the coverage to end and to specify that you want it terminated on the final day of the month. (Medicare coverage always begins on the first day ...

How to end Medicare coverage for spouse?

If you are the spouse of the household contact and you are the one making the transition to Medicare, your spouse can either contact the Marketplace Call Center or go online to end your participation in the Marketplace plan . Follow the step-by-step instructions provided on the Marketplace website under the heading, "If you're ending coverage for just some people on your plan."

How to contact Medicare and Medicaid?

Or go online to ssa.gov. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services at 800-633-4227 (TYY: 877-486-2048) for issues on Medicare coverage, Medicare Advantage plans and Part D drug plans. Or go online to medicare.gov.

How long does it take to sign up for Medicare after it ends?

Throughout the time that you have this insurance, and for up to eight months after it ends, you'll be entitled to a special enrollment period (SEP) to sign up for Medicare without incurring any late penalties. This is also true if your health insurance comes from your spouse's employer through SHOP.

What is a small employer in Medicare?

But under Medicare rules, a small employer is one that has fewer than 20 employees. Larger employers are subject to laws that are designed to protect older workers — for example, by requiring these employers to offer to employees who are 65 and older exactly the same health benefits as they offer to younger workers.

Is Medicare automatic?

You should know that this transition is not automatic. People approaching Medicare age will receive no official notification about how to make the change or when to do it. It's a new scenario ripe for mistakes, some of which can be costly for consumers. Medicare recently announced that it has begun sending notices to people who are both enrolled in ...

Can you sell insurance before Medicare?

Insurance companies in the Marketplace are banned from knowingly selling new policies to people enrolled in any part of Medicare. However, if you're enrolled in a Marketplace plan before becoming eligible for Medicare, your plan cannot reduce or terminate your coverage unless you request it.

image
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9