Medicare Blog

what would trigger medicare spending cuts

by Eldora Champlin Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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Several major deficit-reduction plans include provisions that would impose an explicit limit on the growth in Medicare spending. In general, such limits would trigger cuts if Medicare spending grows more rapidly than a target, such as the growth in the economy.

Full Answer

What happens when the federal government cuts Medicare costs?

Feb 25, 2021 · Stimulus Would Trigger Medicare Cuts Unless Congress Acts: CBO. By Jack Fitzpatrick. Feb. 25, 2021, 2:00 PM. President Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus would trigger $36 billion in cuts to Medicare in fiscal 2022, the Congressional Budget Office said Thursday, unless there’s bipartisan support to waive the requirement. The Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 …

How will the federal budget cuts affect your finances?

Feb 27, 2021 · A $1.9 trillion Covid relief bill backed by Democrats may trigger billions of dollars in cuts to Medicare and other federal programs, like ones supporting student loan borrowers. Republicans are...

How many Senate votes are needed to prevent government spending cuts?

Feb 26, 2021 · HEALTH CARE BRIEFING: Relief Plan Could Trigger Medicare Cuts February 26, 2021 6:03 AM By Brandon Lee Democrats’ $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package would trigger cuts to Medicare and other programs early next year unless Republicans agree to a waiver — a hurdle that could give the GOP leverage.

How much will Medicare cuts hurt the working class?

Jan 01, 2013 · Several major deficit-reduction plans include provisions that would impose an explicit limit on the growth in Medicare spending. In general, such limits would trigger cuts if Medicare spending...

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Happening on the Hill

Surgeon General Pick Vows Clear Scientific Messaging: Two top HHS nominees pledged to focus on science and public health yesterday as a way to clear up U.S. confusion about Covid-19 vaccines and other pandemic issues.

The Coronavirus Pandemic

Biden Says U.S. Will Distribute J&J Vaccine Rapidly: Biden said the federal government will distribute Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus vaccine as fast as the company can produce it, if the shot is approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

What Else to Know Today

Ex-Senator Joins Firm Serving PhRMA: Former Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), who left Congress in January, has joined top lobby shop Capitol Counsel. Roberts will serve as a senior counselor to the firm’s clients, offering “his insights and advice about legislative strategy and his deep understanding of the executive branch,” the firm said in a release.

Who supports tax incentives for children?

Some Republicans, including Senator Mitt Romney of Utah and Marco Rubio of Florida, support bolstering tax incentives for children, though it’s not clear that at least 10 GOP members would join with Democrats on a bill.

How much is the stimulus for children?

The stimulus bill would greatly expand the child tax credit, which is currently $2,000 per child. Parents of children five and under would get $3,600 a year and those with children age six to 17 would get $3,000 under the legislation.

Will the child tax credit be sent monthly?

The payments would also be sent monthly, so that families could use the money to cover expenses throughout the year. Senator Michael Bennet, a Colorado Democrat, said he is “confident” that Congress will approve a permanent version of the expanded child tax credit. It’s unclear how or when such a bill would pass.

Is the expanded child credit permanent?

Senate Democrats will begin efforts to make the expanded child credit included in Biden’s Covid-19 relief plan permanent after Congress enacts the aid bill in coming weeks. “As soon as we pass the Recovery Act, we will fight to make it permanent,” Senator Sherrod Brown, an Ohio Democrat, said of the enlarged tax credit.

Will Medicare be cut in the next fiscal year?

The Congressional Budget Office said the $1.9 trillion stimulus package would trigger automatic spending cuts on Medicare and other programs in the next fiscal year unless Congress acts to head off the reductions, as it’s done before including for the 2017 tax-cut law.

Will Medicare be cut with the stimulus?

(Bloomberg) -- The Congressional Budget Office said the $1.9 trillion stimulus package would trigger automatic spending cuts on Medicare and other programs unless Congress acts to head off the reductions, as it’s done before.

Do Democrats want to work with Republicans?

Democrats want to work with Republicans, and included Senate amendments that had bipartisan vote during the debate over the budget-resolution that enabled going ahead with the the relief legislation, Schumer said.

What is the $1.9 trillion stimulus package?

(Bloomberg) -- President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package would trigger cuts to Medicare and other programs early next year unless Republicans agree to a waiver — a hurdle that could give the GOP leverage over Democrats’ slim majorities.

Is Medicare capped under Paygo?

Under the Paygo law, Medicare cuts are capped at 4% of that program’s outlays, and most other entitlements like Social Security and Medicaid are exempt. Spending on other programs — including some popular farm subsidies long supported by Republicans — would be at risk of being completely eliminated.

How much was Medicare cut?

The Congressional Budget Office said in a letter Thursday to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy that Medicare would face a $36 billion cut, and as much as $90 billion in other programs would be slashed. The spending cliff is entirely of the Democrats’ making. Under the 2010 Pay-As-You-Go law passed by Democrats and signed by then-President Barack ...

What is the $1.9 trillion stimulus package?

President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package would trigger cuts to Medicare and other programs early next year unless Republicans agree to a waiver — a hurdle that could give the GOP leverage over Democrats’ slim majorities.

Is the Paygo spending cliff a priority for Democrats?

Zach Moller, a former Senate Budget Committee aide and now the deputy director of the economic program at Third Way, a centrist think tank, said that while the potential Paygo spending cliff is a real concern and Republicans could try to use it to their advantage, it shouldn’t be a priority for Democrats right now.

Will Progressives repeal Paygo?

That means it would be impossible to fully implement the cuts required by the Paygo law, the CBO said. Progressives are pushing to repeal the Paygo restriction altogether, which was championed by moderate Blue Dog Democrats in 2010 to demonstrate their fiscal responsibility.

Will Democrats turn off Paygo?

Democrats are already plotting ways to turn off the Paygo trigger, according to a Senate Democratic aide who said the most likely scenario would be to attach a waiver to a future must-pass spending bill. That would effectively dare Republicans to shut down the government or go along.

Who is Susan Collins?

In that case, the Senate voted 91-8 then to prevent the tax cuts from triggering the Paygo law, with Senator Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, leading efforts to pass the waiver.

Is Medicare capped under Paygo?

Under the Paygo law, Medicare cuts are capped at 4% of that program’s outlays, and most other entitlements like Social Security and Medicaid are exempt. Spending on other programs — including some popular farm subsidies long supported by Republicans — would be at risk of being completely eliminated.

When will Congress stop cutting the federal budget?

Congress would have until the end of 2021 to prevent the cuts, and it could do so in any bill under the regular process, said Bill Dauster, who was a policy aide when Harry Reid of Nevada was the to Senate Democratic leader.

How many votes are needed to avoid the budget cuts?

The cuts can be avoided, budget experts say, only with 60 Senate votes — leaving Democrats back where they started, because it's unclear whether Republicans would vote to prevent the cuts after having opposed a partisan relief package.

What was the last time the budget reconciliation was used?

Bhatt pointed to the last time budget reconciliation was used to make a big change — when Republicans passed a costly tax cut on a partisan vote, which triggered $25 billion in Medicare cuts. But Democrats joined Republicans to prevent the cuts from taking effect in a government funding measure that was passed subsequently.

What is the purpose of the 2010 PayGo law?

"It's supposed to be an obstacle," he said. "The point of statutory PAYGO is to encourage policymakers to pay for things so they don't make the debt worse.".

How much stimulus money did Biden give?

Many Democrats want to pass President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief proposal, which includes $1,400 stimulus checks and aid to local governments. A group of Republican senators is pushing for a smaller plan that would provide $1,000 checks.

How many votes does Biden need to pass?

So Democratic leaders are preparing to use a process known as budget reconciliation, which would allow them to pass Biden's proposal without getting 60 votes in the Senate, which would require at least 10 Republicans.

Is the evacuation bill for Afghanistan an emergency?

evacuation face life-or-death hurdle. Congress could declare the relief bill an emergency measure, which would exempt it from PAYGO — but adding such a provision would be likely to take 60 votes.

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