Medicare Blog

why does trump want to get rid of medicare

by Mr. Ismael Marquardt MD Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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Does president Trump want to cut Medicare spending?

The White House has denied that Trump wants to cut the popular programs, and even Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama trimmed Medicare spending. A person reads a purchased copy of President Donald Trump’s fiscal year 2020 budget request at the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) library in Washington, D.C., on Monday, March 11, 2019.

Does Trump really want to gut Medicare?

The White House has denied that Trump wants to gut Medicare — a widely popular program. On Monday, acting Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought said the president is “not cutting Medicare in this budget” but rather “putting forward reforms that are cutting drug prices.”

Why do Republicans want to destroy Social Security and Medicare?

Today’s Republicans want to avoid political accountability by destroying Social Security and Medicare without leaving clear fingerprints. This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, send us an email.

Do Democrats want to expand Medicare or cut it?

Candidates for the 2020 Democratic nomination have pushed for a move to universal coverage, whether by giving Americans a choice to opt into Medicare or Medicaid or by setting up a single-payer system. Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, summed up Democrats’ argument: “One party wants to expand Medicare and Medicaid and the other wants to cut them.”

What are the proposed changes to Medicare?

How much money will Medicare cut in 2020?

What percentage of the federal budget will be spent in 2028?

When will the Affordable Care Act be repealed?

Does Trump want to gut Medicare?

Does the budget represent a president's priorities?

Is the number of people with comprehensive health insurance that covers high-cost medical events reduced by millions?

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What are the proposed changes to Medicare?

The proposed Medicare changes aim to address waste and abuse in the system — efforts that both major parties have supported in the past. It is “hard to predict how these proposals would affect patient care if they became law,” said Tricia Neuman, director of the Kaiser Family Foundation’s Program on Medicare Policy.

How much money will Medicare cut in 2020?

Over a decade, the plan would shave an estimated $800 billion or more off Medicare, which covers older Americans, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation and various reports.

What percentage of the federal budget will be spent in 2028?

It is set to make up about 18 percent of federal outlays in 2028. Trump’s budget proposal comes as Democrats widely call for an expansion of government health options. Candidates for the 2020 Democratic nomination have pushed for a move to universal coverage, whether by giving Americans a choice to opt into Medicare or Medicaid or by setting up ...

When will the Affordable Care Act be repealed?

They will likely keep the president’s health care policies top of mind through the November 2020 election, after Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act helped Democrats flip control of the House in last year’s midterms.

Does Trump want to gut Medicare?

The White House has denied that Trump wants to gut Medicare — a widely popular program. On Monday, acting Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought said the president is “not cutting Medicare in this budget” but rather “putting forward reforms that are cutting drug prices.”.

Does the budget represent a president's priorities?

Still, a budget represents a president’s priorities even if it may not ultimately impact Americans’ lives. For Trump — who during his 2016 presidential bid promised not to cut the popular Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security programs — the proposal opens another vulnerability as he tries to hold on to the White House.

Is the number of people with comprehensive health insurance that covers high-cost medical events reduced by millions?

The CBO added that “the number of people with comprehensive health insurance that covers high-cost medical events would be reduced by millions” compared with current law. Criticizing another party’s plans to potentially damage Americans’ health coverage has long been seen as a politically potent attack.

How much money is Trump moving to Medicare?

To start, Trump is moving about one-third of the money--$269 billion —into a different section of the budget. He would not reduce spending for these two programs, which fund certain hospitals and medical education, he’d just shift them out of the Medicare account to somewhere else.

How much money would Medicare save?

The administration also claims Medicare would save about $30 billion from broad changes to medical malpractice laws.

How much money would the White House save by extending the fee for service?

In another change that could directly affect patients, the budget also would expand the requirement that they get prior authorization for Medicare fee-for-service treatment, an initiative the White House says would save about $6 billion.

Is Trump's budget senior friendly?

Make no mistake, the Trump budget is hardly senior-friendly. He’d freeze or reduce spending for many federal senior service programs—continuing a trend that has gone on for more than a decade. And his proposed cuts to Medicaid could hurt family caregivers of parents or younger relatives with disabilities. But the Medicare cuts? There is much less there than meets the eye.

Fact check: 'Record' job gains still leave the U.S. labor market in worse shape than Great Recession

On the last night of his party’s convention, President Trump bragged about “record” job gains in recent months, but the 9.1 million jobs he touts come with some qualifiers.

Trump usually includes new material in major speeches. Not tonight

President Trump spoke for roughly 70 minutes on Thursday, one of the longest convention speeches in modern history.

Trump speech missing several of his favorite talking points

While President Trump launched attack after attack on Joe Biden, he left out a number of his favorite topics of criticism in his acceptance speech.

Fact check: Trump claims Biden wants to 'close all charter schools.' That's false

"Biden also vowed to oppose school choice and close all charter schools, ripping away the ladder of opportunity for Black and Hispanic children," Trump claimed on Tuesday night.

Fact check: Trump repeats out-of-context Biden comment to mislead on police stance

President Trump, arguing that Americans wouldn't be safe under Joe Biden, repeated a claim Mike Pence made Wednesday, quoting the former vice president as saying, "Yes, absolutely," as a response to whether he'd broadly support cutting funding for law enforcement.

Fact check: Trump boasts of delivering PPE early in pandemic, doesn't mention ongoing shortages

"We shipped hundreds of millions of masks, gloves and gowns to our frontline health care workers.

Trump mentions Kenosha, not Jacob Blake

Midway through his speech Thursday, Donald Trump mentioned Kenosha, Wisconsin — but did not make mention of Jacob Blake, who was shot seven times in the back by the city's police.

What did Trump say about Biden's plan?

Trump criticized Biden's plan, saying that "he's talking about destroying your Medicare," which was met by the former vice president saying that Trump is "a very confused guy."

What were Biden and Trump asked about?

During the final presidential debate on Thursday, Democratic candidate Joe Biden and President Donald Trump were asked about their healthcare plans when they began discussing Social Security.

What was Joe Biden asked about during the debate?

During the final presidential debate on Thursday, Democratic candidate Joe Biden and President Donald Trump were asked about their healthcare plans when they began discussing Social Security.

Did Trump propose eliminating Social Security?

While Trump and the White House made conflicting statements about Social Security and payroll tax deferrals, the president never proposed eliminating them entirely.

Did Trump want to eliminate payroll taxes?

The White House sought to clarify Trump's comment shortly after, saying that the president doesn't want to entirely eliminate payroll taxes, and instead wanted to allow the Treasury Department to delay collection of payroll taxes that fund Social Security and Medicare, which was issued in an executive order after congress failed to renew a COVID-19 relief bill.

Did Newsweek reach out to Biden?

Newsweek reached out to Biden and Trump's campaign for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.

Will Social Security go bankrupt in 2023?

That's Social Security. 'If in fact he continues his plan to withhold the tax on Social Security, Social Security will be bankrupt by 2023 with no way to make up for it.'. This is the guy who's tried to cut Medicare," Biden said during the debate.

What would happen if the GOP won the ACA?

If the GOP is successful, the case would have us return to the days when access to health insurance is no longer guaranteed and insurance companies decide who and what to cover and how much to charge. Elements of the ACA that are part of the fabric of our country would all be gone — protected coverage for preexisting conditions, a ban on lifetime coverage limits, allowing children to remain on parents’ plans until age 26, free preventive benefits, and requiring coverage for essential services like mental health and prescription drugs.

What is the Republican argument?

The Republican argument hinges on such a tortured interpretation of the 2017 tax law that the justices should not have to give it the time of day. The Supreme Court may never consider a more important case in a more precarious national moment than the one that 18 Republican states and President Donald Trump's Justice Department have forced onto ...

Who said this is not what senators intended to do and indeed, it is not what they did?

Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., clarified that this is not what senators intended to do and indeed, it is not what they did.

What is Trump's goal with Medicaid?

President Trump has made clear that his goal remains to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including its expansion of Medicaid to low-income adults, and to impose rigid caps on the federal government’s Medicaid spending. While Congress considered and rejected a series ...

When will DHS reject Medicaid?

Beginning February 24, 2020, DHS immigration officials will be able to reject immigration applicants if they have received, or are judged likely to receive in the future, any of an array of benefits, including Medicaid. Timing for the DoS implementation of the policy has not yet been announced.

How does a block grant waiver affect health insurance?

States with block grant waivers could deny coverage for prescription drugs, allow states to impose higher copayments on people in poverty , and waive standards for managed care plans (which many states use to provide Medicaid coverage).

What is a block grant waiver?

Inviting State “Block Grant” Waivers. The Trump Administration issued guidance in January 2020 inviting states to seek demonstration projects — known as waivers — that would radically overhaul Medicaid coverage for adults. Under the guidance, states could apply for waivers that would convert their Medicaid programs for adults into a form ...

How many children would lose Medicaid in 10 years?

After ten years, more than 300,000 children would lose comprehensive coverage ...

What would happen if the poverty line was lowered?

By lowering the poverty line, that proposal would ultimately cut billions of dollars from federal health programs and cause millions of people to lose their eligibility for, or receive less help from, these programs. Many programs, including Medicaid and CHIP, use the poverty line to determine eligibility and benefits, and the cuts to these programs — and the numbers of people losing assistance altogether or receiving less help — would increase with each passing year. After ten years, more than 300,000 children would lose comprehensive coverage through Medicaid and CHIP, as would more than 250,000 adults covered through the ACA Medicaid expansion. Some pregnant women, low-income parents in non-expansion states, and people receiving family planning services through Medicaid would also lose coverage.

How long will Wisconsin lose Medicaid?

Those with incomes as low as 50 percent of the poverty line — about $500 per month for an adult without dependents — will lose Medicaid for up to six months if they don’t pay premiums.

Why do Republicans hate Medicare?

Because Social Security and Medicare are government programs that work so well, the Republican elite — with its seemingly religious belief that the private sector is always the best — hates them . So obsessed are the Republicans in their desire to eliminate these effective government programs that the very first action that House Republicans took in the new Congress was to adopt a rules package that included a new rule that amounts to a stealth attack on Social Security and Medicare.

What are the Republicans' obsessions with Medicare?

The Republican Obsession With Dismantling Social Security And Medicare. Today’s Republicans want to avoid political accountability by destroying Social Security and Medicare without leaving clear fingerprints. The Republicans are desperate to destroy Social Security and Medicare. These two programs demonstrate government at its best.

What is the Republican claim that they are simply seeking to save Social Security and Medicare?

Republican claims that they are simply seeking to save Social Security and Medicare is the same Orwellian language used during the Vietnam War, when a military officer claimed that a village had to be destroyed in order to save it. Similarly, when today’s Republicans talk of “saving” Social Security and Medicare, ...

Why don't Social Security and Medicare go through the appropriations process?

Social Security — the people’s pension — and Medicare — the first step toward universal health insurance for all — do not go through the appropriations process because, as monthly pension payments and medical insurance, they must pay what is owed, not what Congress chooses to spend. If Social Security and Medicare were subject to the whims of every Congress, they would be radically transformed. No one could count on the benefits they had earned. Presumably with that goal in mind, the new rules require the relevant committees to make “recommendations for changes to existing law for moving [unspecified} programs…from mandatory funding to discretionary appropriations, where appropriate.”

Why does Medicare not go through the appropriations process?

Social Security — the people’s pension — and Medicare — the first step toward universal health insurance for all — do not go through the appropriations process because, as monthly pension payments and medical insurance, they must pay what is owed, not what Congress chooses to spend. If Social Security and Medicare were subject to the whims ...

What are the two programs that Republicans want to destroy?

The Republicans are desperate to destroy Social Security and Medicare. These two programs demonstrate government at its best. The federal government runs these two extremely popular programs more efficiently, universally, securely, and effectively than the private sector does with its alternatives — or indeed could, ...

What would happen if the Democratic Party could draw a clear distinction on this vital issue?

If the Democratic Party can draw a clear distinction on this vital issue, it can create a powerful wedge between the Republican elites and their base. If the base catches on and realizes who truly represents their economic interests, the next four years, difficult as they are going to be, will be followed by important progress for many years to come.

When did Trump stop payroll tax?

On Aug. 8, Trump issued a memo that directed the Treasury secretary to defer the withholding of the payroll tax on wages paid between Sept. 1 and Dec. 31.

What happens if Social Security isn't paid back?

If the money isn’t paid back, Congress will need to find different funding to support Social Security, as it did during the Obama years. Or the Social Security trust funds end up running dry sooner than expected.

What percentage of Social Security is funded by payroll tax?

The payroll tax currently funds 90% of Social Security. Trump told reporters that if he wins re-election he wanted to “terminate” the program’s primary funding source. He can’t do that on his own. A Facebook post has a dire warning about the future of Social Security under President Donald Trump.

What happens if I win the election on Nov 3?

3, I plan to forgive these taxes and make permanent cuts to the payroll tax. So I’m going to make them all permanent. …. But if I win, I may extend and terminate. In other words, I’ll extend it beyond the end of the year and terminate the tax."

Did Trump call for eliminating payroll tax?

Administration officials have argued that Trump wasn’t calling for permanently getting rid of the payroll tax.

Did Trump say he would terminate Social Security?

Trump never said he’d terminate the Social Security program, but has talked about terminating the program’s funding source. While speaking, Trump used the words "terminate" or "ending" to describe his plans for the tax, although sometimes he described it as a possibility, while in other statements he sounded more forceful.

Who pointed to these statements by Trump?

Social Security Works pointed to these statements by Trump:

What is the Biden campaign's claim about Social Security?

The Biden camp justifies its claims about President Trump’s “proposed cuts” to Social Security by pointing to the Trump administration’s recent efforts to implement a payroll tax holiday as part of the ongoing efforts to blunt the economic impact of Covid-19.

When will Social Security be depleted?

Assuming no changes are made or new policies are enacted, the Social Security Trust Fund will be depleted by 2035, according to the most recent Trustees Report. If that were allowed to happen, beneficiaries would still receive about three-quarters of their regular monthly checks, thanks to funding from the payroll tax.

Will Social Security run dry in 2023?

At the end of August, the chief actuary at the Social Security Administration penned a letter saying that removing payroll taxes would cause funding for Social Security to run dry by the middle of 2023. While Trump has talked fast and loose about nixing the payroll tax, he has also said he’d support replacing that revenue with money from ...

Does payroll tax help Social Security?

Payroll taxes help fund Social Security, but they are not synonymous with the program. In August, the CARES Act’s supplemental $600 weekly unemployment benefit ran out. Negotiations for a second stimulus package among the White House, the House Democrats and the Senate Republicans were going nowhere fast.

Did the 600 unemployment run out?

In August, the CARES Act’s supplemental $600 week ly unemployment benefit ran out. Negotiations for a second stimulus package among the White House, the House Democrats and the Senate Republicans were going nowhere fast. In response to the deadlock in Congress, President Trump enacted a payroll tax holiday by executive order.

Is Social Security complicated?

Unlike other big policy issues, Social Security isn’t terribly complicated to solve , Munnell told Forbes Advisor. You either need to increase revenue to keep benefits constant, or cut retirees’s benefits—neither solution would be politically popular. Politicians on both sides of the aisle need to take the issue seriously and get the buy-in needed to make necessary changes.

Did Trump leave Social Security alone?

In 2016, the president distinguished himself from other Republicans by promising to leave Social Security alone. Over the past four years, he’s pretty much done just that.

What are the proposed changes to Medicare?

The proposed Medicare changes aim to address waste and abuse in the system — efforts that both major parties have supported in the past. It is “hard to predict how these proposals would affect patient care if they became law,” said Tricia Neuman, director of the Kaiser Family Foundation’s Program on Medicare Policy.

How much money will Medicare cut in 2020?

Over a decade, the plan would shave an estimated $800 billion or more off Medicare, which covers older Americans, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation and various reports.

What percentage of the federal budget will be spent in 2028?

It is set to make up about 18 percent of federal outlays in 2028. Trump’s budget proposal comes as Democrats widely call for an expansion of government health options. Candidates for the 2020 Democratic nomination have pushed for a move to universal coverage, whether by giving Americans a choice to opt into Medicare or Medicaid or by setting up ...

When will the Affordable Care Act be repealed?

They will likely keep the president’s health care policies top of mind through the November 2020 election, after Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act helped Democrats flip control of the House in last year’s midterms.

Does Trump want to gut Medicare?

The White House has denied that Trump wants to gut Medicare — a widely popular program. On Monday, acting Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought said the president is “not cutting Medicare in this budget” but rather “putting forward reforms that are cutting drug prices.”.

Does the budget represent a president's priorities?

Still, a budget represents a president’s priorities even if it may not ultimately impact Americans’ lives. For Trump — who during his 2016 presidential bid promised not to cut the popular Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security programs — the proposal opens another vulnerability as he tries to hold on to the White House.

Is the number of people with comprehensive health insurance that covers high-cost medical events reduced by millions?

The CBO added that “the number of people with comprehensive health insurance that covers high-cost medical events would be reduced by millions” compared with current law. Criticizing another party’s plans to potentially damage Americans’ health coverage has long been seen as a politically potent attack.

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