For those who like to believe the boilerplate arguments that Democrats are for protecting Social Security and Medicare while Republicans are for dismantling the key programs that provide a social safety net for millions of Americans, you might want to read up on proposed changes championed by the Biden administration.
President Biden’s team has proposed two rules for the Medicare Advantage program. That is a health insurance option where a retiree receives benefits through a private company.
Medicare Advantage plans sometimes offer lower health insurance premiums and more services than a traditional Medicare plan. It is said that more than 192,000 West Virginians use Medicare Advantage plans.
In West Virginia, many retired public workers, as well as some in the private sector, have Medicare Advantage policies, and now with the proposed rule changes, they will face either higher costs, fewer benefits or both.
The proposed changes have caught the attention of retiree advocates — and for good reason, as Charmel Radcliff, president of the West Virginia Association of Retired School Employees, explained in a letter sent to the head of Medicare and Medicaid programs.
“As written, the proposed Medicare Advantage plan payments for next year could result in billions of dollars in cuts to Medicare Advantage,” Radcliff wrote. “Any decreases in payments to plans could mean fewer benefits or higher premiums for more than 30 million Americans, including many retired school employees across West Virginia.”
Radcliff said it’s been determined that the Biden proposals could cut benefits by as much as $540 per person.
That may not seem like much, but many of these retirees are living on very limited budgets and haven’t seen substantial — or any — increases to their retirement payments.
“It should come as no surprise that enrollees are very satisfied with their Medicare Advantage plans,” Radcliff wrote. “In fact, senior voters are overwhelmingly satisfied with Medicare Advantage, and four in five seniors believe it is important for the federal government to protect Medicare Advantage funding. We hear it from our members all of the time. Medicare Advantage provides great, accessible health care for an affordable price.”
West Virginia’s two U.S. senators, Shelley Moore Capito and Joe Manchin, both support leaving Medicare Advantage as is or strengthening it.
“The administration wants to cut Medicare Advantage,” Capito said Thursday. “The predominant population in West Virginia is on Medicare Advantage. I can speak from experience because both of my parents were on it when they were aging. It works great. It’s more choice. It’s a public-private partnership.
“We need to look at more things like that, that are cost-containing and are user-friendly. I think that is where the long-term solutions are going to come.”
Capito was a lead writer on a letter to the Medicare program administrator back on Feb. 8 that indicated Medicare Advantage has strong bipartisan support.
In the letter, the senators wrote:
“The number of Americans who choose Medicare Advantage continues to grow each year, with enrollment doubling over the last decade, resulting in Medicare Advantage serving nearly 50 percent of individuals eligible for Medicare.
“… In 2023, average Medicare Advantage premiums will fall to a 16-year low of $18 per month, and beneficiaries will have access to vital financial protections, including out-of-pocket spending limits and often prescription drug coverage for no additional premium.”
The Biden administration is headed down a path that will cause pain and anxiety to our oldest citizens, many of whom are former public servants who deserve much better.
We applaud the efforts of Capito, Manchin and other senators who are leading the bipartisan effort to protect this program. And we urge them to work together to safeguard and strengthen all aspects of the safety net for our retirees through the Social Security and Medicare programs.
Being able to relax and enjoy their golden years is the least the world’s greatest country can provide for its older citizens.
Supporting Social Security and all aspects of Medicare and Medicaid is the right thing to do.