how worried are you about possible medicare cuts and do you think it will happen

[Butterfly]

It's still up in the air, but the recent tax cut included a provision where the feds can ("might") get out of direct reimbursement and instead, give block grants to states to handle Medicare. But, if the block grants are not enough, the states might be forced to cut some benes. No one is talking about ending the program. They are talking about how to save money, and the repubs would like to pretty much put the onus back on the states (no political argument here).
It all remains to be seen.

I believe the above suggestions apply only to Medicaid, not to Medicare. Medicare is strictly a federal program, with no state involvement. Medicaid is partially managed by the states.

 

[retiredtraveler]

I believe the above suggestions apply only to Medicaid, not to Medicare. Medicare is strictly a federal program, with no state involvement. Medicaid is partially managed by the states.

You are correct. Block grants proposed for Medicaid. Reductions in reimbursements for Medicare proposed.

But, people are obviously not concerned. The congressional elections in 2014 had the lowest voter turnout in years. Only 1/3rd of voters showed up. So, the general population of the U.S. doesn't care, so whatever happens is all good (apparently). Seniors did vote in higher numbers, but less than 2/3rds.

 

[KingsX]

.

Plan F is the best of all the Medicare supplements, the cream of the crop.

I'm retired from a major Blue Cross corporation. Their best option for their Medicare primary retirees is Plan F.

 

[Lethe200]

No, actually there ARE possible Medicare cuts coming, if the new tax law is found not to be revenue-neutral - which just about every single analyst, including conservative experts as well as the CBO, has agreed that it will add to the deficit, not reduce it - then mandatory cuts must occur:

From TheHill.com, Nov 14, 2017:
http://thehill.com/policy/finance/budget/360300-tax-bill-could-spur-25-billion-in-medicare-cuts-cbo

(excerpt) The GOP tax bill could trigger automatic cuts worth $136 billion from mandatory spending in 2018,including $25 billion in Medicare cuts, if Congress doesn’t find another way to offset its deficit increases, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).

The tax bill would add an estimated $1.5 trillion to the deficit over a decade. Congressional “pay-as-you-go” rules, called pay-go, require that the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) automatically cut mandatory spending if legislation increases the deficit beyond a certain point.

“Without enacting subsequent legislation to either offset that deficit increase, waive the recordation of the bill’s impact on the scorecard, or otherwise mitigate or eliminate the requirements of the [pay-go] law, OMB would be required to issue a sequestration order within 15 days of the end of the session of Congress to reduce spending in fiscal year 2018 by the resultant total of $136 billion,” CBO wrote on Tuesday.

Medicare can only be cut by a maximum of 4 percent through the pay-go rules, however, which amounts to $25 billion in cuts.
======

Note the important point: this is re-calculated every year. If the economy grows and tax revenues cover expenditures, entitlements like Social Security and Medicare are exempted from cuts. ONLY if the budget is negative, do the mandatory cuts happen.

Although the budget cuts can come from anywhere, the GOP has already stated its intent to reduce entitlements and have specifically named Medicare in addition to Medicaid:

Ryan says Republicans to target welfare, Medicare, Medicaid spending in 2018
Washington Post, Dec 6, 2017
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...e-and-social-security/?utm_term=.6d8e6194e89d

 

[Sharon S. Campbell]

Smiling Jane - AARP was started by its insurance co! So, they do represent both sides; not impossible, because they must stand up for their members. And, with enough of us voicing our opinions, they do and will continue to do so, I think.

 

[Sharon S. Campbell]

Lifting the tax caps on SS and Medicare goes a very long way to a full fix.

 

[GreenSky]

.

Plan F is the best of all the Medicare supplements, the cream of the crop.

I'm retired from a major Blue Cross corporation. Their best option for their Medicare primary retirees is Plan F.

Unless you take the premium into consideration Plan F is the "best." Of course, Plan G covers exactly the same things other than the $183 Medicare Part B deductible and is usually $400+ less expensive depending on area.

So for those who believe paying the insurance company $400 so you can avoid a $183 is a great deal then keep Plan F.

Rick

 

[garyt1957]

I just don't expect any cuts in Medicare. Maybe means testing as someone said. But seniors vote and there's lots of them out there with all the millions of boomers retiring daily. It would be political suicide to touch Medicare.
Frankly, I think we need to bite the bullet and go single payer health care. It seems the only way going forward that can remotely work.

 

[Don M.]

Frankly, I think we need to bite the bullet and go single payer health care. It seems the only way going forward that can remotely work.

For Sure! Nations with a Universal plan spend about half of what we do...and their results are superior to ours. Our present system is All About Money, and it is driving our costs to ridiculous levels. Health Care costs are already the single largest national expenditure, and will only continue to get worse unless our government looks at what is working quite well for other nations.