With Medicare Cuts Coming, Today’s Rates Could Be Latest Cost Of ObamaCare

February 21, 2014

  • Today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will announce the Medicare Advantage rates for 2015.
  • Ever since Democrats gutted Medicare to pay for ObamaCare, seniors have been dreading the day when their benefits will be cut, plans will be lost, and they won’t be able to see their doctors.
  • Americans were promised if they liked their plans, they could keep them. Democrats running this November had better be prepared to answer why so many seniors will be losing the plans or doctors they’ve counted on.
  • In yet another way, Democrats’ broken promises are about to meet reality. Now we’re about to see the true cost of ObamaCare.

 

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CMS Will Announce The 2015 Medicare Advantage Rates Today. “The debate is likely to heat up as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) prepares to announce the 2015 Medicare Advantage rates on Feb. 21.” (Elise Viebeck, “Medicare fight looms over midterms,” The Hill, 2/8/14)

ObamaCare Cuts Medicare Advantage By $156 Billion, According To The Nonpartisan CBO. (Congressional Budget Office, 7/24/12)

Kaiser Family Foundation: 5 Percent of Enrollees Will Be Forced To Change Their Plan; Others Will Face Higher Premiums. “‘About 526,000 of current 2013 Medicare Advantage enrollees (5%) will have to make some change because their plan is not available in 2014… Enrollees who stay with their current plan (if available) will find that, on average, their premiums will increase by almost $5, from $35 to $39.’” (New Report Shows Medicare Advantage Payment Cuts Disrupting Seniors’ Coverage, AHIP, 11/26/13)

Those Enrolled In Medicare Advantage Will See Fewer Plans And May Lose Their Doctor. “Benefits experts say patients are seeing fewer plan choices this year, and more are losing doctors from their insurance coverage networks.” (Tom Murphy, “4 Keys To Scrutinizing Medicare Advantage Cuts,” Associated Press, 11/15/13)

There Will Be 142 Fewer Medicare Advantage Plans This Year. “This open season also will have 142 fewer Medicare Advantage plans, the private plans that are an alternative to traditional Medicare fee-for-service coverage, the Avalere study found.” (Susan Jaffe, “Medicare Open Enrollment Brings Changes,” USA Today, 10/21/13)

PolitiFact’s 2013 Lie Of The Year: “If You Like Your Healthcare Plan, You Can Keep It.” “For all of these reasons, PolitiFact has named “If you like your health care plan, you can keep it,” the Lie of the Year for 2013. Readers in a separate online poll overwhelmingly agreed with the choice.” (Angie Holan, “Lie Of The Year: ‘If You Like Your Health Care Plan, You Can Keep It’,” PolitiFact, 12/12/13)