The Biden Administration recently announced plans to cut Medicare Advantage payouts for the second year in a row. In response, Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) released a statement criticizing the decision, accusing the President of having "no plan to protect Social Security, and now he just cut Medicare benefits."
Health Care Dive reported that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) emphasized these were not technically cuts in payouts, because "The base pay decrease is also a result of the continued phase-in of changes to how regulators calculate risk adjustments, meant to make payments more accurate."
On the other hand, Sen. Scott argued that this cut will affect 2.8 million Florida seniors, many of whom live on a fixed income, and reduce payments by almost $400 per year.
"President Biden has no plan to protect Social Security, and now he just cut Medicare benefits. Biden’s war on seniors is disastrous – especially for seniors on fixed incomes who are already struggling with skyrocketing inflation. The takeaway from Biden’s actions is clear: Democrats don’t give a damn about the 2.8 MILLION Florida seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage who will see costs go up by nearly $400 a year. Nearly 60% of Florida’s Medicare beneficiaries choose Medicare Advantage because it works. I will be fighting like hell to reverse this terrible decision that hurts our seniors and pass my Protect Our Seniors Act to stop Biden’s horrible war on seniors that is devastating for so many older Floridians," said Sen. Scott.
Additionally, the Florida Senator called for the passage of his Protect Our Seniors Act introduced last February, which would offset funding for the expansion of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to go toward the Medicare and Social Security Administration Trust Funds, establishes a Budget Point of Order, and prohibits Medicare savings from going toward offset or pay-for spending outside of Medicare.
Last week, Representatives Vern Buchanan (R-FL) and Darren Soto (D-FL) similarly urged the Biden Administration to reverse the decision.
"At a time when more than half of the Medicare beneficiary population is enrolled in an MA plan, coupled with still stubbornly high levels of inflation that is pinching the pocketbooks of everyday Americans, the last thing we should be doing is raising health care costs on our nation’s seniors, many of whom are living on fixed incomes," said Rep. Buchanan.
Rep. Soto added, "It is imperative to uphold these vital components to preserve the quality and accessibility of healthcare for Medicare Advantage recipients. Sustaining stable payments is crucial to guaranteeing reasonable premiums, preserving supplemental benefits, and maintaining competitive provider reimbursements for the millions of seniors and individuals with disabilities who rely on Medicare Advantage."
