Sen. McCain Continues To Mislead Americans On Medicare Changes
In a December 3, 2009 op-ed in USA Today, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) expressed his disdain for proposed changes to Medicare Advantage in the Senate health care reform bill. However, it is obvious that Sen. McCain failed to do any thorough research on the topic before penning the piece.
Medicare Advantage Benefits Are Part Of The Medicare Overpayment Problem
Sen. John McCain: "The bulk of these cuts come directly from Medicare Advantage, which, unlike traditional Medicare, offers coordinated benefits that can improve the quality of care as well as cover items such as hearing aids, dental benefits and flu shots." [USA Today, 12/3/09]
Changes To Medicare Advantage Come With Extra Benefits For All Medicare Enrollees. FactCheck.org reported: "The CBO has estimated that the move would change the value of the extra benefits Medicare Advantage participants get, but they would not receive fewer benefits than the rest of seniors who aren't on the Advantage plans. The bill does add some extras for Medicare beneficiaries, eliminating copays and deductibles for preventive services, for example." [FactCheck.org, 12/2/09, emphasis added]
Sen. McCain Is Wrong About The Number Of Seniors Enrolled In Medicare Advantage
Sen. John McCain: "Medicare Advantage provides the only choice in the Medicare program for seniors who want additional benefits or better options. Almost 90% of seniors need and have some form of supplemental coverage on top of Medicare." [USA Today, 12/3/09]
23% Of Seniors Enrolled In Medicare Are Enrolled In Medicare Advantage. The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that 44.8 million American seniors are enrolled in Medicare and 10.3 million seniors are enrolled in Medicare Advantage. [StateHealthFacts.org, "Total Number of Medicare Beneficiaries, 2008" accessed 12/3/09; "Total Medicare Advantage (MA) Enrollment, 2009," accessed 12/3/09]
Sen. McCain Has No Idea How Medicare Advantage Affects Low-Income Americans
Sen. John McCain: "Further, many low-income Americans rely on Medicare Advantage to supplement coverage." [USA Today, 12/3/09]
Low-Income Americans Do Not Primarily Receive Their Medicare Supplements Through Medicare Advantage. According to the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare: "Medicare Advantage is NOT the primary source of supplemental coverage for low-income and minority beneficiaries. A recent analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found that these Medicare beneficiaries are far more likely to receive supplemental coverage through Medicaid than to be enrolled in Medicare Advantage." [National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, March 2009, emphasis original]
"Paying Medicare Advantage Plans The Same As Traditional Fee-For-Service Medicare Pays Per Beneficiary Would Not Adversely Affect Low-Income" Americans. According to the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare: "Paying Medicare Advantage plans the same as traditional fee-for-service Medicare pays per beneficiary would not adversely affect low-income and minority beneficiaries. It would strengthen Medicare's financing and eliminate excess Part B premiums all beneficiaries in traditional Medicare, including large numbers of minority beneficiaries, are paying to subsidize private plans." [National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, March 2009]
Medicare Advantage Benefit Packages Receive Money From Seniors Not Enrolled In Medicare Advantage
Sen. John McCain: "The Congressional Budget Office assumes that the Democrats' bill would cut Medicare Advantage benefits by more than half - from an average of $98 to $41 a month. During the Finance Committee markup, CBO Director Doug Elmendorf stated that 'approximately half' of Medicare Advantage benefits would be cut for 11 million seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage under the provisions in the Democrats' bill. The fact is, cuts to Medicare Advantage are cuts to Medicare benefits." [USA Today, 12/3/09]
Medicare Advantage Benefits Are Subsidized By Seniors Not Enrolled In Medicare Advantage. According to FactCheck.org, many of the seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage "receive a bit more in benefits than regular Medicare fee-for-service patients - perhaps a gym membership, a pair of eyeglasses, a reduced premium. But, as we've written, Medicare pays the private companies that administer Medicare Advantage about 14 percent more per beneficiary than it does for the rest of Medicare beneficiaries, who wind up subsidizing the program, according to government analysts." [FactCheck.org, 11/2/09, emphasis added]
Sen. John McCain, Lying About His Record (Again)
Sen. John McCain: "I have consistently been a strong advocate of making Medicare a more efficient and stronger program through improving incentives for better coordinated care, reducing Medicare fraud and abuse, and eliminating preventable errors...Unlike slashing the Medicare program by half a trillion dollars in order to finance more Washington spending and mandates, I have advocated putting any savings created by improvements to Medicare back into the program to improve it for our seniors and ensure its viability." [USA Today, 12/3/09]
Senator McCain has voted to slash Medicare over $1 trillion during his time in office.
2005: McCain Voted To Cut $6.4 Billion From Medicare. [S. 1932, Vote #363, 12/21/05]
2005: McCain Voted For GOP Budget That Cut Over $5 Billion From Medicare. [S. 1932, Vote #303, 11/3/2005]
2003: McCain Opposed Allocating An Additional $12 Billion In Medicare Funds For Cancer, Heart Disease, And Alzheimer Patients. [S. 1, Vote #253, 6/26/03]
2003: McCain Voted Against Increasing Funding For Medicare And Medicaid Programs By $4.1 Billion. [H.J.R. 2, Vote #21, 1/23/03]
1996: McCain Voted To Cut An Estimated $158.1 Billion From Medicare. [H.C.R. 178, Vote #156, 5/23/1996; H.C.R. 178, Vote #159, 6/13/1996]
1996: McCain Voted To Cut An Estimated $158.1 Billion In Medicare And $72 Billion From Medicaid As Part Of The FY 1997 Budget Resolution. [H.C.R. 178, Vote #159, 6/13/96]
1996: McCain Voted To Cut Medicare By $158 Billion And Medicaid By $72 Billion As Part Of The FY 1997 Budget Resolution. [H.C.R. 178, Vote #156, 5/23/96]
1995: McCain Voted To Cut Medicare By $270 billion. [H.R. 2491, Vote #584, 11/17/1995; H.R. 2491, Vote #556, 10/27/1995; H.C.R. 67, Vote #296, 6/29/1995]
1995: McCain Voted To Cut Medicare By $256 Billion to Pay For Tax Cuts For The Rich. [S.C.R. 13, Vote #232, 5/25/1995]
1995: McCain Voted Against Reducing Cuts To Medicare By $181 Billion. [S. 1357, Vote #499, 10/26/95]
1995: McCain Voted To Cut Medicare And Medicaid By $100 Billion. [S.C.R. 13, Vote #173, 5/22/95]
1995: McCain Voted To Cut Medicare By $270 Billion. [H.R. 2491, Vote #584, 11/17/95; H.R. 2491, Vote #556, 10/27/95]
1995: McCain Voted In Favor Of Cuts In Medicare Payments To Hospitals.. [S. 1357, Vote #524, 10/27/95]
1995: McCain Voted Against Reducing Cuts To Medicare By $181 Billion. [S. 1357, Vote #499, 10/26/95]
1995: McCain Voted To Cut Medicaid/Medicare Funding By $452 Billion. [H.C.R. 67, Vote #296, 6/29/95]
1995: McCain Voted To Cut Medicare By $256 Billion In Order To Pay For Tax Cuts For The Rich. [S.C.R. 13, Vote #232, 5/25/95]
1995: McCain Voted to Cut Medicare & Medicaid By $100 Billion. [S.C.R. 13, Vote #173, 5/22/95]
