Medicare Blog

what is congress going to do about medicare

by Mr. Justyn Morar DVM Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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Does the Senate Republicans’ plan end Social Security and Medicare?

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee claimed that the "Senate Republicans’ plan" would "end Social Security" and "end Medicare." The ad refers not to a plan from Senate Republicans but from one Republican, Scott. The plan would sunset all federal laws after five years, requiring Congress to renew the laws it wants to keep.

Did Congress do enough to improve Medicare coverage for older adults?

In its massive end-of-year spending bill, Congress slipped in some important changes that may improve Medicare coverage for hundreds of thousands of older adults who don’t enroll when they first are eligible. Unfortunately, lawmakers only did half the job.

What would happen to Medicare and Medicaid if Congress reversed Obamacare?

Congress would have to renew the laws it wants to keep. As the New York Times reported: "Taken literally, that would leave the fate of Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security to the whims of a Congress that rarely passes anything so expansive."

What does Scott Scott’s plan say about social security and Medicare?

Scott’s plan mentions Social Security and Medicare once, in a section labeled Government Reform/Debt: "Force Congress to issue a report every year telling the public what they plan to do when Social Security and Medicare go bankrupt." The plan also says: "All federal legislation sunsets in five years.

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Is Congress going to cut Medicare?

Congress passes bill to stop Medicare payment cuts; President expected to sign. The U.S. Senate last week voted to stop nearly all of the Medicare payment cuts physicians were facing on January 1, 2022.

What are the 2022 changes to Medicare?

Part A premiums, deductible, and coinsurance are also higher for 2022. The income brackets for high-income premium adjustments for Medicare Part B and D start at $91,000 for a single person, and the high-income surcharges for Part D and Part B increased for 2022.

Is the government changing Medicare?

Regardless of the outcome, the eligibility age for Medicare will not change overnight. Lowering the eligibility age is no longer part of the U.S. Government's budget for Fiscal Year 2022. So, the Medicare eligibility age will not see a reduction anytime in the next year.

Did the new Medicare bill pass?

UPDATE: Dec. 10, 2021: The Senate on Thursday passed legislation averting Medicare cuts that were set to go into effect in roughly three weeks. The vote was 59-34. The bill, which passed the House earlier this week, delays 2% cuts to Medicare rates through March and a separate round of 4% cuts to 2023.

What will Medicare cost in 2023?

CMS finalizes 8.5% rate hike for Medicare Advantage, Part D plans in 2023. The Biden administration finalized an 8.5% increase in rates to Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage plans, slightly above the 7.98% proposed earlier this year.

What will Medicare cost me in 2022?

In 2022, the premium is either $274 or $499 each month, depending on how long you or your spouse worked and paid Medicare taxes. You also have to sign up for Part B to buy Part A. If you don't buy Part A when you're first eligible for Medicare (usually when you turn 65), you might pay a penalty.

What will Medicare cost in 2021?

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that the standard monthly Part B premium will be $148.50 in 2021, an increase of $3.90 from $144.60 in 2020.

What changes are coming to Medicare in 2021?

The Medicare Part B premium is $148.50 per month in 2021, an increase of $3.90 since 2020. The Part B deductible also increased by $5 to $203 in 2021. Medicare Advantage premiums are expected to drop by 11% this year, while beneficiaries now have access to more plan choices than in previous years.

Is Medicare changing to 62?

More than 125 House lawmakers introduced legislation Friday that lowers the Medicare eligibility age to 60 from 65. The Improving Medicare Coverage Act — led by Reps.

How will the new bill affect Medicare?

Specifically, the bill would extend the moratorium on the 2% Medicare sequester cuts until April 1, 2022, and reduce the cuts from 2% to 1% from April 1 through June 30, 2022. The package also would stop the 4% statutory Pay-As-You-Go sequester from taking effect early next year.

Who legislated Medicare?

On July 30, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the bill that led to the Medicare and Medicaid.

Do I have to pay a premium for Medicare?

Most people don't pay a monthly premium for Part A (sometimes called "premium-free Part A"). If you buy Part A, you'll pay up to $499 each month in 2022. If you paid Medicare taxes for less than 30 quarters, the standard Part A premium is $499.

Will Medicare premiums increase in 2022?

In November 2021, CMS announced that the Part B standard monthly premium increased from $148.50 in 2021 to $170.10 in 2022. This increase was driven in part by the statutory requirement to prepare for potential expenses, such as spending trends driven by COVID-19 and uncertain pricing and utilization of Aduhelm™.

Will Medicare premium go down in 2022?

Medicare Part B Premiums Will Not Be Lowered in 2022.

What the House Passed

The Medicare-related legislation, doesn't do everything APTA and other organizations have asked for, but it comes close. Here's what's in the bill.

The Senate Path

While the House passed the Medicare changes as standalone legislation, the journey the changes will take in the Senate is a little trickier— which could be a good thing. (This is where staying awake in civics class pays off.)

No Guarantees

As with all machinations on Capitol Hill, there's never a sure bet. That's why we need to be ready to advocate for S.610. Stay tuned to APTA — by way of our website, member emails, social media, and the APTA Advocacy Network — for calls to action in the coming days.

Who was the secretary of health and human services who testified before Congress that $716 billion could “both” save Medicare

Kathleen Sebelius, then the Secretary of Health and Human Services, infamously testified before Congress that this $716 billion could “both” save Medicare while funding Obamacare. Only Washington politicians could claim with a straight face to spend the same money twice. President Biden, who has spent the last half-century in Washington, ...

How much did Biden's family plan cost?

But Biden’s “families” plan proposed using some of that same money to pay for his new entitlement expansions, including an expansion of Obamacare subsidies estimated to cost $163 billion over ten years. That would siphon more than two-thirds of the revenue that’s supposed to be going toward Medicare.

Why is Biden's tax provision called unfair?

The very provision Biden’s Treasury Department called “unfair” because they might allow people to “avoid paying their fair share” is one the Bidens used to avoid more than $500,000 worth of taxes in the last four years.

Does Joe Biden value Medicare?

In both his family’s budget and his administration’s fiscal policies, Joe Biden shows he neither value Medicare nor the seniors who rely on it. Chris Jacobs is founder and CEO of Juniper Research Group, and author of the book, " The Case Against Single Payer .". He is on Twitter: @chrisjacobsHC. Photo Global News / YouTube.

Does Biden want to raise Medicare taxes?

President Biden, who has spent the last half-century in Washington, wants to do just that. His budget takes a page out of the Obama playbook, raising Medicare taxes while raiding those additional funds from Medicare to pay for his Obamacare expansion.

Did Biden pay Medicare taxes?

Well, he and his wife dodged hundreds of thousands of dollars in Medicare taxes, the better to fund their luxury lifestyle. Now, as president, Biden wants others to pay the Medicare taxes he avoided — not because he views Medicare as a sacred promise to seniors, but to create a slush fund he can raid to pay for other programs.

More from Life Changes

Here’s a look at other stories offering a financial angle on important lifetime milestones.

Seeking bipartisan support

The plan also integrates a couple of elements that might help draw support from across the aisle.

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