Trump Administration Offers More False Promises to Justify Massive Cut to Medicare Program

Targeted News Service (Press Releases)

WASHINGTON, March 27 -- Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Wisconsin, issued the following news release:

Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-4) is sharing news about President Trump's proposed cuts to Medicare.

President Trump's fiscal year 2020 budget proposed a staggering $845 billion cut to Medicare programs, a move that could have devastating impacts on Milwaukee seniors and those dependent on the program. Yesterday, his representative, Health and Human Services Secretary Eric Hargan, promised lawmakers on Capitol Hill during a House Budget Committee hearing that the proposed cut will not come from the Medicare trust fund but instead, from the program's general fund.

While some of this money will be redirected to the Department of Health and Human Services, the total net cut to the Medicare program amounts to over $5 billion. This will result in higher out-of-pocket drug costs for the 25 percent of Milwaukee residents who depend on the program.

"Repeating or spinning inaccuracies won't change the facts. This administration is looking to put the cost of their massive tax giveaway to the rich on the backs of seniors and the working class. The proposed Medicare spending cut--$845 billion--is exactly what it sounds like. And now, they're asking the courts to strike down the Affordable Care Act without explanation or replacement, just more empty promises and more leeway for insurance companies to deny coverage of people with pre-existing conditions. Republicans have consistently attacked Obamacare, despite its benefits to the American people. It's time we start asking who they're really working for. Healthcare is a right, not a privileged."

President Trump's budget has also proposed transforming the current Medicare distribution system from a pay-as-you-go system to state block grants. This will make it impossible for states to ask for more money as Medicare demand or costs fluctuate. Wisconsin's senior population is expected to grow steadily until 2030, and not being able to ask for new funds accordingly could cripple the state's ability to adequately fund Medicare over the next decade.