Join Us Live for a Discussion on Medicare, Democracy, and the Future of Health Care
Over time, policy ideas gain and lose popularity, including several that threaten the effectiveness of major health care programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In this series—What’s at Stake—we explore some of these reform ideas and how they could affect coverage, care, and outcomes for older adults and people with disabilities.
Understanding these issues is important, as it may influence how a person votes, donates to causes, or interacts with elected officials. Importantly, while some of the ideas may appear partisan, many enjoy broad support, and all are sensitive to shifting political dynamics.
This work was supported in part by the AARP Public Policy Institute. Medicare Rights Center maintains full editorial control over all of its policy analysis and communications activities.
The Medicare Rights Center is unpacking what’s at stake for older adults and people with disabilities when it comes to Medicare policy ideas. In this video, we begin to break down a handful of proposed changes to Medicare that come in and out of fashion over the years.
Medicare Savings Programs are federal Medicare cost-assistance programs administered by state Medicaid offices. In this video, the Medicare Rights Center provides an overview of MSP benefits and eligibility requirements.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) strengthened Medicare and Medicaid and created important coverage avenues and consumer protections for people of all ages. Despite these successes, the health law continues to face opposition from some policy corners in Congress, the states, some presidential administrations, and the courts.
Some policymakers support turning Medicare into a premium support system, also called a defined contribution system or a voucher program. These programs would give people with Medicare a voucher or coupon to purchase health coverage. If the voucher did not cover the full cost—a certainty, given the aim of such programs is to save Medicare dollars—the person would presumably have to pay the rest or go without coverage. Though touted as a cost saver, a hallmark of these policies is to instead shift significant expenses onto consumers.
Policymakers often overlook or disregard the problems people may face when they try to enroll or stay enrolled in public programs or to get the care they need. Issues around Medicare and Medicaid enrollments and appeals are legion and can run the gamut from minor one-time annoyances to recurrent bureaucratic nightmares.
Medicaid is financed and administered through a federal-state partnership. Under current law, the federal government matches state Medicaid spending based on a statutory formula, without a pre-set limit. If state spending increases, for example due to increased enrollment or unexpectedly high program costs, then federal spending increases as well.
Medicare is a nearly universal program for people 65 and over, guaranteeing health care for older adults who have paid into the system during their working lives. This ensures that older adults do not have to continue to rely on employer health insurance and can retire at 65 without risking coverage loss. Some policymakers want to delay access to Medicare by raising the eligibility age from 65 to 67 or even 70. This would disproportionately harm people who can least afford it, including people who work in physically demanding jobs and older adults of color.
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 made key changes in Medicare law and coverage to improve prescription drug affordability for older adults and people with disabilities. Since its passage, however, some stakeholders and lawmakers have targeted IRA policies for revision or repeal, especially the law’s Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program.
With the passage of HR 1, Congress is cutting around $1 trillion from Medicaid over the course of the next 10 years. The cuts will affect Medicaid at every level, restricting eligibility and enrollment, driving up the cost of covered services for beneficiaries and states, and damaging the health care system nationwide. These cuts harm the people who rely on the program, including millions of older adults and people with disabilities who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, as well as people nearing Medicare eligibility who have coverage through expansion Medicaid.
Many states have expanded Medicaid coverage and care through Medicaid “Section 1115” waivers, but some states are inclined to move in the opposite direction, to limit eligibility or restrict coverage.
Some policymakers endorse proposals to give Medicare providers the right to charge beneficiaries more for care than is currently allowed, either through balance billing or private contracting. Under these reforms, providers could require their Medicare patients to negotiate a contract for the cost of their care, or simply charge more for Medicare-covered services, leaving those beneficiaries with additional costs on top of their premiums, copayments, and coinsurance.
A core component of Medicare is its universality. Some policy ideas would undermine that promise by limiting benefits to people with lower incomes or requiring higher income enrollees to pay more for their care or coverage.
The Medicare Rights Center is unpacking what’s at stake for older adults and people with disabilities when it comes to Medicare policy ideas. In this video, we begin to break down a handful of proposed changes to Medicare that come in and out of fashion over the years.
Medicare Savings Programs are federal Medicare cost-assistance programs administered by state Medicaid offices. In this video, the Medicare Rights Center provides an overview of MSP benefits and eligibility requirements.
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Any changes to the Medicare program must aim for healthier people, better care, and smarter spending—not paying more for less. As policymakers debate the future of health care, we will provide our insights here.
Our national and state policy agendas are defined by our experience serving people with Medicare on our national helpline and through our educational programs. Read our collection of reports, fact sheets, and letters to learn more about our policy positions.
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