Tuesday, March 12, 2019

Promise Hope/Deliver Betrayal. Business as Usual/WAD


Here are some comments from Donald J Trump as both candidate and President. 
‘I was the first & only potential GOP candidate to state there will be no cuts to Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid. Huckabee copied me.’
“I’m not going to cut Social Security like every other Republican and I’m not going to cut Medicare or Medicaid.” 
 "Save Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security without cuts. Have to do it," 
“Republicans will protect Medicare for our great seniors who have earned it.”
A few days before Election Day, he suggested that Hillary Clinton wanted to “destroy” Medicare, the public health-care system for the elderly, which she had vowed to expand, and claimed that he alone would “protect” it.
Major Savings and Reforms, Fiscal Year 2020,
Even with a booming economy, excluding Social Security and Medicare spending and revenues, the Federal Government is still running a net deficit of $608 billion.
National debt as % of GDP
2016 105%
2017 104%
2018 107%
At Whitehouse.gov as part of the Trump administration budget proposal it shows the % of debt to GDP to be 106.1%.  If you actually do the calculation from the real numbers, it is 107.1%.  For 2019 and 2020 it is projected to be 107.0% and 107.4% respectively.
He, DJT/POTUS, has repeatedly said he would not make cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.  He has been believed because people want to believe things that comfort them, validate their cultural biases. or bring them hope.  Mexico will pay for the wall., Everybody can now feel much safer than the day I took office. There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea.  Save Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security without cuts. Have to do it. 
Here’s the deal; the President of the United States will tell you whatever he thinks you want to hear while acting in any manner he perceives to be most advantageous to himself and the United States’ other oligarchs.  He will lie and mislead while seeking to enrich himself.  Your lack of access to health care, a life of dignity, or a social safety net is of no consequence to him.  If you still think POTUS is anything other than a lying narcissistic coward there is a technical term for you that I can only provide upon request.
Following is a summary of the proposed budget from the Trump Administration just for Medicare and Medicaid.  The numbers presented are representations of millions.  The minuses are cuts.  Do not be misled by their characterization as “savings” and “efficiencies”.  They are projections for the next 10 years. 339,180,000,000, that’s 339 billion 180 million to be cut just from Medicare.  That figure is not even comprehensive.  It is discernible just from glancing at a few charts available via Whitehouse.gov.  Some of them are provided below.  I know, it’s hard to believe but I didn’t just find a meme that supported my views or an MSM source that conformed to them.  You too can actually get your information from principals rather that talking heads or pundits who make you feel validated and comfortable.  There are many hundreds of billions more that are being eliminated from America’s primary social nets.  This includes the big 3, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.   When the proposed budget talks about any increases it is based on the rate of inflation.  Trump and his cronies are speaking of the national rate of inflation, not the increase in health costs.  There is a huge difference.  Over the past decade the rate of inflation for the U.S. has ranged from 0.7% to 3.0% Since 2007, health care prices have increased by 21.6%.  The faster you run, the farther behind you get   Although the majority of Americans rely on these to some extent, those who possess most of the wealth, thereby access to and influence of policy/budget makers, do not.  However, these non-users will spend a lot of money to cut your benefits derived from a social contract to help offset the deleterious effect of THEIR substantial benefit from the most recently implemented tax cut.
The Budget proposes to reduce wasteful spending and incentivize efficiency and quality of healthcare in Medicare, extending the solvency of the program for America’s seniors consistent with the President’s promise to protect Medicare.  Tying future growth to inflation growth; the Budget also reduces Medicare’s spending on beneficiaries’ unpaid cost sharing obligations, consistent with private sector business practices.  The Budget proposes to expand seniors’ personal control and introduce more consumer power into the healthcare market by allowing Medicare beneficiaries to make tax-deductible contributions to HSAs associated with high deductible health plans offered by their employers or Medicare Advantage plan.  The numbers below represent millions.
Medicare: Eliminate cost-sharing on generics–70 –90 –100 –90 –90 –110 –110 –130 –140 –350 –930
Exclude manufacturer discounts from the calculation of beneficiary out-of-pocket costs in the Medicare Part D coverage gap–3,120 –5,260 –6,830 –8,230 –9,860 –9,170 –9,910 –11,590 –10,760 –23,440 –74,730
Establish a beneficiary out-of-pocket maximum in the Medicare Part D catastrophic phase 780 1,860 1,930 1,740 1,620 1,220 1,450 2,210 1,220 6,310 14,030 Give the Secretary authority to contract with pharmaceutical manufacturers entering into new coverage gap discount program agreements on a quarterly basis 3 ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... Permanently authorize a successful pilot on retroactive Medicare Part D coverage for low-income beneficiaries–20 –20 –20 –30 –30 –30 –30 –40 –40 –40 –120 –300
Eliminate pass-through payments for drugs, biologicals, and biosimilars–150 –280 –320 –350 –400 –440 –490 –550 –610 –680 –1,500 –4,270
Summary Tables Table S–6. Mandatory and Receipt Proposals—Continued (Deficit increases (+) or decreases (–) in millions of dollars) 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 Totals 2020–2024 2020–2029
Medicare–170 –2,710 –3,830 –5,380 –7,010 –8,800 –8,580 –9,160 –10,160 –10,400 –19,100 –66,200 Medicaid: Clarify authorized generic sales under the Medicaid Drug Rebate program–15 –15 –15 –15 –15 –15 –15 –15 –15 –15 –75 –150
Test allowing State Medicaid programs to negotiate prices directly with drug manufacturers and set formulary for coverage–5 –15 –25 –35 –40 –45 –50 –60 –65 –70 –120 –410
Exclude brand name and authorized generic drug prices from Medicaid Federal upper limit–90 –90 –100 –100 –100 –100 –100 –100 –100 –100 –480 –980 C
Clarify definitions under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program to prevent inappropriately low manufacturer rebates–26 –26 –27 –32 –32 –37 –38 –38 –43 –48 –143 –347
 Allow rebates on drugs that exceed 100 percent of the Average Manufacturer Price
Total, Medicaid ............................... ......... –136 –146 –167 –182 –187 –197 –203 –213 –223 –233 –818 –1,887
Total, drug pricing and payment improvements ................................. ......... –381 –2,941 –4,092 –5,662 –7,297 –9,117 –8,913 –9,518 –10,548 –10,778 –20,373 –69,247
Allow States to extend Medicaid coverage for pregnant women with substance use disorder to one year postpartum 25 20 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 120 245
 Total, address opioids 25 20 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 120 245
Medicare Appeals: Improve the Medicare appeals system
Table S–6. Mandatory and Receipt Proposals—
Continued (Deficit increases (+) or decreases (–) in millions of dollars) 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029
Totals 2020–2024 2020–2029 Address wasteful spending, fraud, and abuse in Medicare: Improve and tailor the way Medicare educates beneficiaries about the program 40 60 70 70 70 70 70 70 80 80 310 680 Eliminate arbitrary thresholds and other burdens to encourage participation in advanced Alternative Payment Models 3–350 –350 –240 100 220 60 20 50 90 120 –620
Consolidate and block grant graduate medical education payments–790 –1,240 –2,110 –3,090 –4,030 –5,110 –6,120 –7,220 –8,440 –9,710 –11,260 –47,860
Modify payments to hospitals for uncompensated care–6,030 –7,540 –8,620 –9,670 –10,780 –11,940 –13,180 –14,460 –15,790 –31,860 –98,010
Reduce Medicare coverage of bad debts–410 –1,390 –2,940 –3,920 –4,250 –4,520 –4,810 –5,100 –5,420 –5,750 –12,910 –38,510 120
Summary Tables Table S–6. Mandatory and Receipt Proposals—
Continued (Deficit increases (+) or decreases (–) in millions of dollars) 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 Totals 2020–2024 2020–2029
Address excessive payment for postacute care providers by establishing a unified payment system based on patients’ clinical needs rather than the site of care–1,210 –2,880 –5,000 –7,670 –10,470 –12,280 –13,440 –14,700 –16,570 –16,930 –27,230 –101,150
Authorize long-term care hospital site neutral exceptions criteria–530 –820 –890 –950 –1,000 –1,060 –1,120 –1,150 –1,210 –1,270 –4,190 –10,000
Pay all hospital-owned physician offices located off-campus at the physician office rate–1,100 –2,010 –2,220 –2,460 –2,720 –2,990 –3,280 –3,600 –3,940 –4,340 –10,510 –28,660
Pay on-campus hospital outpatient departments at the physician office rate for certain services–4,670 –8,600 –9,670 –10,870 –12,170 –13,580 –15,170 –16,940 –18,840 –20,890 –45,980 –131,400 Redesign Expand basis for beneficiary assignment for Accountable Care–10 –10 –10 –10 –10 –10 –10 –10 –30 –80 Reform and expand durable medical equipment competitive bidding–390 –690 –740 –795 –855 –910 –985 –1,045 –1,110 –2,615 –7,520 Support coverage for innovative alternatives to durable medical
Clarify the Part D special enrollment period for dually eligible beneficiaries–20 –20 –10 –20 –20 –20 –20 –20 –30 –30 –90 –210
BUDGET OF THE U. S. GOVERNMENT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020 121 Table S–6. Mandatory and Receipt Proposals—Continued (Deficit increases (+) or decreases (–) in millions of dollars) 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 Totals 2020–2024 2020–2029
Give Medicare beneficiaries with high deductible health plans the option to make tax deductible contributions to Health Savings Accounts or Medical Savings Accounts 601 1,066 1,287 1,492 1,597 1,682 1,764 1,825 1,283 4,446 12,597
Expand prior authorization to additional Medicare fee-for-service items at high risk of fraud, waste, and abuse–430 –510 –540 –570 –610 –640 –680 –720 –760 –800 –2,660 –6,260
Prevent fraud by applying penalties on providers and suppliers who fail to update enrollment records–2 –2 –3 –3 –3 –3 –4 –4 –4 –4 –13 –32
Pass Treasury collection fees for CMS overpayment collections onto debtor  –20 –20 –20 –20 –20 –20 –20 –20 –20 –20 –100 –200 37,486 –43,986 –50,141 –55,752 –61,765 –68,754 –75,171 –145,312 –456,895
122 Summary Tables Table S–6. Mandatory and Receipt Proposals—Continued (Deficit increases (+) or decreases (–) in millions of dollars) 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 Totals 2020–2024 2020–2029
Address wasteful spending, fraud, and abuse in Medicaid: Strengthen CMS’s ability to recoup Medicaid improper payments–100 –430 –460 –490 –520 –550 –590 –620 –660 –1,480 –4,420
Continue Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) allotment reductions–6,510 –6,490 –6,470 –6,450 ......... –25,920
Provide flexibility for enrolling out-ofState providers in Medicaid 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 4 9 Streamline the Implement pre-payment controls to prevent inappropriate personal care services payments–700 –730 –760 –800 –840 –880 –920 –970 –1,010 –1,060 –3,830 –8,670
Rescind remaining balances from the Medicaid Improvement Fund ........... ......... ......... –6 ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... –6 –6
Total, address wasteful spending, fraud, and abuse in Medicaid–700 –835 –1,189 –1,259 –1,329 –1,399 –7,979 –8,049 –8,099 –8,169 –5,312 –39,007
Other Medicaid reforms: Implement Medicaid community engagement requirement–8,300 –10,900 –11,500 –12,100 –12,800 –13,500 –14,200 –14,900 –15,700 –16,500 –55,600 –130,400
Allow States to apply asset tests to Modified Adjusted Gross Income standard populations–50 –100 –200 –210 –230 –240 –250 –260 –280 –290 –790 –2,110
Reduce maximum allowable home equity for Medicaid eligibility–570 –610 –650 –690 –730 –780 –820 –870 –930 –2,520 –6,650
Require documentation of satisfactory immigration status before receipt of Medicaid benefits–190 –190 –200 –210 –220 –230 –250 –260 –270 –290 –1,010 –2,310
Increase limit on Medicaid copayments for non-emergency use of emergency department–60 –120 –120 –130 –140 –140 –150 –160 –170 –360 –570 –1,550
BUD GET OF THE U. S. GOVERNMENT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020 123
Table S–6. Mandatory and Receipt Proposals—Continued (Deficit increases (+) or decreases (–) in millions of dollars) 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 Totals 2020–2024 2020–2029
Total, other Medicaid reforms ........... ......... –8,600 –11,880 –12,630 –13,300 –14,080 –14,840 –15,630 –16,400 –17,290 –18,370 –60,490 –143,020.

Whaduyathink?

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