Donald J. Trump becomes the 45th President of the United States Friday, Jan. 20. Many are closely watching for the Medicare impact from his policies, as well as potential changes in Medicaid and Social Security that could be in the offing.
Repealing the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, is atop the agenda for Republicans, who now control both houses of Congress as well as the White House.
AARP is among the groups worried about unintended fallout from that move, especially its potential “erasing the consumer-friendly Medicare benefits that the law created.” Fifty-seven million Americans depend on Medicare to afford their health care.
Trump’s pledges vs. Ryan’s plan
Trump on the Medicare issue set himself apart from other Republicans during the primary election campaign. He pledged not to cut Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security, which resonated with older voters. Trump assured older voters he would leave those programs intact and their benefits would be delivered as promised. And older voters proved a decisive voting bloc in Trump’s victory.
Within days of Trump’s election, though, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) resurrected his Medicare plan. It would install a fixed-dollar subsidy plan for beneficiaries to use to purchase private insurance. Therefore a showdown is in the offing, between the President’s pledges and the Speaker’s detailed plan.
AARP, formerly the American Association of Retired People, weighs in on the issue with a Special Report, Why Medicare Matters.
The 7-page document details the issues, as AARP promises to be “on the Front Lines Defending Medicare” in the days ahead.
How AARP frames this issue
Here is how the association frames the issue in Why Medicare Matters:
“As news of Ryan’s proposed Medicare overhaul spread, it stirred fears among the 57 million beneficiaries who rely on it to cover prescription drugs, doctor visits and hospitalizations. Democrats lined up to pledge their opposition. It also prompted an outcry from consumer groups, including AARP,” says an introductory article in Why Medicare Matters.
It continues:
“What remains to be seen in January, as Congress reconvenes and the president-elect takes office, is how Trump’s campaign assurances to protect Medicare will hold up against House lawmakers intent on revamping the popular health program.
“Trump contributed to the uncertainty by announcing House Budget Committee Chairman Tom Price (R-Georgia) as his pick to run the Department of Health and Human Services. Price has been an advocate of Ryan’s Medicare approach, which supporters call ‘premium support’ and critics decry as a ‘voucher system.’ Trump’s website further raised questions about his plans for Medicare. It says he wants to ‘modernize Medicare,’ which is often seen as Washington code for the type of changes Ryan wishes to make.
As of press time, Trump had not made any postelection comments about Medicare. But in an interview with ABC News on Dec. 4, Vice President-elect Mike Pence said Trump ‘
made it very clear in the course of the campaign that we’re going to keep our promises in Social Security and Medicare.’ ”
Medicare impact unknown
Browning & Meyer Co. LPA will continue to stay on top of this issue for our clients. Action on the federal level is nearly certain to impact these critically important federal programs. It appears clear, though, that Medicare will be first into the breach with the new government’s agenda.
The Medicare program as it stands is not broke. It is fully solvent through 2028. We believe it’s important that the federal government continue to deliver on the promises it has made with this program. Millions of Americans have faithfully paid into it for decades, and depend on its benefits today.
Most of all, we urge you to get informed on the issue. The AARP Special Report presents important information, so we share it with you here in full, at the below link.
A Special Report from AARP: Why Medicare Matters
Browning & Meyer Co., LPA is a law office with more than 60 years of experience in the firm’s specialized areas of practice. Those include include estate planning, elder law, special needs planning, and Medicaid eligibility planning and litigation. We offer a wide array of legal services to assist you and your family as you move through the stages of life.