Medicare Cuts caused by House budget bill

This is deliberately vague.

Paying medical providers less = cuts.

The obvious consequence.of.oauinf providers less is loss ***somewhere***, and that always comes home to the consumer (patient).

Why the misdirection? Isn't deliberate?

@PaulA981355 

The US’s credit rating was downgraded because of the amount of government debt and because our interest on the debt is now at almost a TRILLION dollars.  

PETER G PETERSON FOUNDATION 05/19/2025 - Moody’s Downgrade of U.S. Credit Rating Highlights Risks of Rising National Debt 

from the link ~

On May 16, Moody’s Ratings downgraded the U.S. credit rating, citing an inability of the nation to address large and growing deficits. This downgrade means that for the first time ever, all three major credit ratings agencies have downgraded U.S. credit below their top rating. Moody’s warning comes as lawmakers are considering budget reconciliation legislation that would make America’s fiscal situation significantly worse.

The new report from Moody’s downgrades the U.S. credit rating from the top level of Aaa (negative) to Aa1 (stable). In its announcement, Moody’s stated the following primary reasons for doing so:

• Growing debt caused by increased federal spending and reduced revenues from tax cuts. Moody’s includes the assumption that extension of the 2017 TCJA provisions will add $4 trillion to the debt over the next decade.
• Growing federal interest payments, driven by rising interest rates. The cost of financing the U.S. debt has increased rapidly, driven by higher Treasury yields since 2021.

The interest on the debt is now almost a TRILLION DOLLARS - that amount is paid before anything else.

Yes, we need to do both - REDUCE SPENDING and INCREASE REVENUES - but how do we do that when people keep wanting things.  

• We want government programs and services,
• we don’t want to pay taxes on our Social Security benefits,
• we don’t want to pay taxes on tips, or overtime.
• We want everybody to have healthcare coverage, even when the Feds have to bribe the states to cover low income, abled bodied, childless people by reimbursing them MORE than those who are low income old, blind, disabled or pregnant women.
• we want tax credits for the kids we have,
• we want to be able to deduct ourf State and Local Taxes on our income tax no matter what they are.  
• we want more from our Social Security and Medicare even though we have known for a long time  that the Trust Funds are drying up 
• we want good roads, good schools, good jobs, 
• we want to have an adequate retirement when we stop working

Companies have to invest in their businesses in order to grow and hire more people.  When they grow, they add more value to the economy.  For many, they are the ones that have given workers their health insurance, their retirement and other benefits.  

Yes, we do need to get to the point where we all contribute for what we want. 

from the link again ~

Now, all three major rating agencies have lowered their ratings for U.S. debt, reflecting deep concern about the United States’ growing debt and deficits. These serious and credible warnings should send a strong message to policymakers about the need to address America’s unsustainable fiscal path.

@rl523 

Here are the changes to Medicaid, Medicare, the ACA and Health Savings Accounts -  which the passed House bill outlines.  You can select the topic at the top of the page and then it shows the items under that topic, the current law and then the changes.  There are also other imbedded links that explains the programs more fully if you need that information.  

Just so we are all on the same page in the discussion -

Which of these do you not agree with? Which do you agree with, if any?

KFF.org - 05/22/2025 - Health Provisions in the 2025 Federal Budget Reconciliation Bill 

Like this one:  

You see, I for one, think that we should not have a MEDICAID incentive for states  in the EXPANDED MEDICAID program which was added during the ACA.  

This is where the Federal government pays states MORE for Medicaid coverage for low income abled bodied, childless adults less than 65 years old than what the Feds pay for those who are over 65, elderly, blind or disabled. The ones that MEDICAID was originally designed to cover.   The % difference in paid is rather great too -

Expanded Medicaid for the low income, abled bodied, childless - 90%, as compared to those who are the elderly (over 65), blind, disabled, pregnant mothers & their newborns, children in the CHIPS Medicaid program - 40 - 60%.

This difference in the Fed payments is nothing but a bribe to get the states to insure these low income abled bodied, childless folks under the EXPANDED program - I think the amount should at least be less than those who are more needy, IMO.  Or at least the same - but not more.

Some states (7-8) of them are taking this extra money and giving MEDICAID coverage to others REGARDLESS OF THEIR IMMIGRATION STATUS.  

So let’s do talk about the specifics of the legislation in regards to Medicare and Medicaid - but let’s at least be factual in what we are saying.  

Government is complicated; government program are complicated - I think that we should assign different names to the different programs under MEDICAID but that might be too complicated for the masses to understand. But we have to understand it to understand the whatever changes or the cost savings.