$500 Billion cuts to MEDICARE in the "big beautiful bill"?

[jm56833783]

This seems to be a something in the "big beautiful bill" they just passed. Could be wrong but I would think AARP would be at the least talking about this. 

[MichelleS349768]

I agree! I just got off the phone with AARP, and they had absolutely no information. I think it's disgraceful. Do they know that Medicare, as well as Medicaid is being cut significantly. Why is no one talking about this. It's outrageous!

What are they doing to advocate on our behalf. How are they fighting this bill, which is now heading to the Senate?

[GailL1]

@MichelleS349768 

Which part of the changes do you not like ?

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

I don’t consider the majority of these as “cuts”  - Do you?

Here are some of the MEDICARE ones - read the link for the others -

Expands eligibility by allowing qualifying hospitals that were open from January 1, 2014 to December 26, 2020 but have since closed to reopen as rural emergency hospitals. Newly eligible hospitals must be at least 10 miles from the nearest hospital to receive the fixed monthly facility payments and at least 35 miles from the nearest hospital to receive the increase in OPPS reimbursement.

Effective Date: January 1, 2027.

People who are 65 or older and enrolled in Medicare Part A only may continue to contribute to an individual HSA. If someone is eligible to continue to contribute to an HSA, they may not use distributions from the HSA to pay for health insurance.

• For those eligible to continue to contribute to an HSA, distributions from the HSA that are not used for qualified medical expenses are subject to an additional 20% tax.

Effective Date: January 1, 2026.

[papawofboo]

I get at least one e-mail a week from AARP asking me to sign a petition to send to congress about saving, stopping or cutting something in SS/MC. I sign it and a few days later I get an e-mail from my congressman stating that he had received the petition. 

AARP may not do a good job of maintaining this site but on the important stuff I think they are trying. Come ELECTION DAY is when we can make our voices be heard.

c

[GailL1]

@papawofboo 

As long as you are real clear on what you are signing and understand all the repercussions.  Cause Government and programs/benefits are very complicated.  

Like the Medicare Part D reforms that happened last year and effective this year.  Most people didn’t really think it was gonna affect them but plans disappeared, plans changed, premiums were higher - and they will continue to go up the more that the rest of the reforms are put into play in the coming years.  It did help a lot of people who were on really high cost meds but those that were not on these meds just didn’t see how it was gonna affect their plans.  

We widened the boundaries of MEDICAID when the Public Health Emergency was in play (Covid) - then wen we started rolling it back to the normal boundaries, people were shocked that their MEDICAID benefits were being removed.

I guess what I am saying is that you have to know what is in the bills being proposed in Congress before you actually can make a decision on them - and a few words in a news bite just doesn’t get you to the same knowledge.

[papawofboo]

Your right, those congress people are real cleaver on how they word things. I think it was Regan who had a bill sent to him about something. Way down in the bill it stated that if he signed it then congress would get raise, the kicker was if he didn't sign it they would get a raise just a smaller one.

Anyway I didn't spend years in college to be a lawyer, I just have to hope that AARP does have our best interest at heart. Sure hope I'm not doing something that will come back and bite me in the .............

[GailL1]

@papawofboo 

You will really enjoy this short read on the 27th Amendment Ronald Reagan Presidential Library - Constitutional Amendments – Amendment 27 – “Financial Compensat... 

No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of representatives shall have intervened.

[GailL1]

@jm56833783 

Sounds like we all need to be talking about it and all the other changes that have to do with Medicaid, Medicare, HSA, ACA - but we need to discuss it in the realm of factual information.  

IOW, we have to understand how it is before we understand what is actually proposed to be changing.  So we can start here with each topic being described in detail as to the current law and the changes. 

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

[jm56833783]

Thank you for this additional pathway. As a Vietnam Veteran I turn to AARP when I find I am getting lost the maze of information.