FacebookXLinkedInInstagram

Trouble Ahead for Medicare Advantage & Medicaid Patients

For years, Medicare Advantage (MA) providers have marketed their plans with celebrity endorsements, promises of extra dental, vision, and hearing benefits, and the appeal of low or zero monthly premiums. But for millions of older adults, that illusory promise of stable coverage is colliding with a harsh reality. Unsatisfied with profits, insurance giants like Humana, United HealthCare and Aetna are pulling out of some markets entirely, leaving Medicare Advantage patients stranded. People enrolled in these plans will be forced to look elsewhere for their coverage in 2027. 
2026-09-01T13:44:58-04:00September 1st, 2026|Categories: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, healthcare, Medicaid, Medicare, Medicare Advantage|

Trump & GOP’s Role in Rising Health Insurance Costs

New reporting shows Affordable Care Act (ACA) premiums are set to spike by an average of 14% in 2027, on top of last year’s double‑digit hike. It’s exactly what you’d expect from a Trump administration that has made life more expensive and health care less secure for the most vulnerable Americans.  For millions of Americans who buy coverage on the ACA marketplaces, the story of the past two years is simple: the bill got bigger, the help got smaller, and people are walking away from coverage.
2026-07-22T11:03:02-04:00July 22nd, 2026|Categories: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, healthcare, Medicaid, Medicare, Trump Administration|

The Trump/Vance Medicaid Retribution Road Show

The Trump administration continues to weaponize Medicaid to punish Blue States under the phony cover of hunting for “waste, fraud, and abuse.”  Trump named J.D. Vance ‘fraud czar’ – and the veep has wasted no time withholding billions of dollars in Medicaid funds from Democratic-run states. Last week, Vance announced he’s holding back $1.3 billion in Medicaid reimbursements to California over allegations of “fraud.” There obviously is no love lost between the Trump administration and Governor Gavin Newsome’s state. 
2026-05-18T15:33:48-04:00May 18th, 2026|Categories: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, GOP, healthcare, Medicaid, Medicare|

Trump Throws Medicare, Medicaid Under The Bus for War in Iran

We always knew Trump wasn’t sincere about protecting Medicare and Medicaid. But he just betrayed his own lie by saying that the two programs - which provide 140 million people with health coverage - should NOT EXIST on the federal level. Why? Because defense should be the federal government’s only priority. Trump didn’t run as a libertarian. But his (poorly worded) declaration would make the Cato Institute blush:
2026-04-03T12:57:13-04:00April 3rd, 2026|Categories: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Medicare, President Trump, Uncategorized|

House GOP Appropriators Announce 10% Cut in Labor/HHS Spending

House Republicans once again are showing where their true priorities lie.  Appropriations committee chair Tom Cole (R-OK) announced the GOP’s topline numbers for fiscal year 2025 --- including at least a 10% cut in funding for Labor/HHS (Health & Human Services).  That could mean agencies like the Social Security Administration (SSA) and Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) would endure a huge spending cut, while Republican appropriators propose to boost military spending by 1%.
2024-05-17T12:16:18-04:00May 16th, 2024|Categories: Budget, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Congress, Democrats, Republicans, Social Security Administration (SSA)|

House Members Urge CMS to Expand Medicare Dental Coverage

More than 100 members of the U.S. House have sent a letter to the head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in an effort to expand Medicare dental coverage. (Traditional Medicare only covers “medically necessary” dental care in a narrowly defined way that excludes not only routine care, but many illness-related treatments.)  The members implored CMS administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure to broaden the definition of “medically necessary” to cover many more types of dental care.
2022-07-06T16:01:52-04:00July 6th, 2022|Categories: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Congress, Democrats, Medicare|

The Part D Prescription Drug Bait and Switch

Medicare Part D prescription drug beneficiaries can be in for a rude surprise after they sign up for coverage.   In an article this week in Kaiser Health News, Susan Jaffe writes that the price of a drug may jump within a month of a patient enrolling in the Part D drug plan
2022-05-06T10:51:04-04:00May 5th, 2022|Categories: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Congress, Democrats, Medicare, Medicare Drug Coverage and Costs, Prescription Drug Prices, President Biden|

What’s Happening with Budget Reconciliation Legislation Affecting Seniors?

As Democrats attempt to unite around a final budget reconciliation package – otherwise known as President Biden’s Build Back Better Plan – seniors advocates are keeping a close eye on key provisions affecting older Americans.
2021-09-29T14:34:23-04:00September 28th, 2021|Categories: Budget, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Congress, Democrats, Medicare, Medicare Expansion, Prescription Drug Prices, President Biden, Republicans|

National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare© Copyright 2025

Go to Top