Democratic-Leaning Group’s Ad Suggests Trump Cut Medicare To Pay For Tax Breaks To Billionaires. That’s Not True.
The Washington Post Fact Checker blasts the claim. While President Donald Trump鈥檚 2020 budget did propose reductions in anticipated spending on Medicare, it was completely unrelated to the tax cut passed by Congress in 2017. In other news, HHS Secretary Alex Azar suggests that Medicare Advantage plans could see pay boosts.
The ad purports to show a couple who have been farmers for 42 years 鈥 鈥淏ill A.鈥 and 鈥淢ona A.鈥 At first, it seems the ad would delve into the impact that President Trump鈥檚 policy of putting tariffs on Chinese goods has had on U.S. farmers, but then it veers into familiar territory for a Democratic attack ad. 鈥淚 paid into Medicare my whole life. Trump wants to cut it just to pay for tax breaks to billionaires,鈥 Bill says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just the rich wanting to be richer, and the rest of us are just going to have to deal with it,鈥 Mona adds. The ad closes with this line: 鈥淭rump鈥檚 economy isn鈥檛 working for us.鈥 (Kessler, 7/24)
HHS Secretary Alex Azar on Tuesday hinted that Medicare Advantage plans could see pay boosts as part of the Trump administration's strategy to tackle maternal mortality rates, social determinants of health and rural healthcare access. "We can also enhance value through payments in Medicare Advantage, where we want to open up more opportunities for MA plans and entities they work with, including creative value-based insurance design arrangements, moving care to the home and community, and new ways for MA plans to improve a patients' health over the long term," Azar said at the Better Medicare Alliance's policy summit. (Luthi, 7/23)
