The non-partisan and independent Congressional Budget Office (CBO) today released an analysis detailing just how harmful the Democrats’ half-trillion dollar cuts to Medicare will be on millions of seniors. The analysis specifically examines the impact these cuts will have on seniors in the Medicare Advantage (MA) program. Today, nearly 11 million seniors rely on MA plans for their health benefits, which the Democrats have targeted for $202 billion in cuts.  CBO confirmed that if these cuts take effect, 4.8 million fewer seniors will be enrolled in these plans in 2019.  So much for the oft-repeated promise of being able to keep what you like.
 
Furthermore, CBO notes that “Medicare Advantage plans …provide their enrollees with extra benefits” that traditional Medicare does not offer (e.g. dental and vision coverage, reduced copayments, lower premiums, etc.).  However, because of Democrats’ drastic Medicare cuts, the non-partisan CBO predicts the value of extra benefits received by seniors enrolled in MA will be slashed by $816, on average, in 2019. So much for the Democrats’ claim that their Medicare cuts won’t harm seniors health benefits. 

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