Controlled by George Jack
The move to underscore the mismanagement of the Biden administration’s Medicare Advantage (MA) is a change in exit door policy that is threatened to disrupt health care plans for around 33 million seniors. The Biden administration’s proposed refund adjustment amounts to effective funding cuts that would pose well below inflation rates and put three million older Floridians at risk. Instead of bolstering programs that enjoy widespread popularity, the Biden White House chose to undermine its likely to undermine those who rely on its expanded profits and competitive pricing.
Over half of Medicare eligible seniors choose MA over traditional Medicare because they offer additional services such as dentistry, vision and hearing coverage without additional premiums. The program operates through a competitive market, ensuring cost-effectiveness and consumer choice. However, despite these benefits, progressive policymakers have long tried to undermine MA. The latest rate adjustments set to take effect in 2026 seem like a calculated effort to constrain MA growth, with millions likely to return to traditional Medicare.
As Senator Rick Scott pointed out, these funding cuts will have concrete consequences for older people. In Florida alone, where nearly 60% of Medicare beneficiaries opt for MA, enrollees can see supplemental benefits being reduced by $33 a month, or nearly $400 a year. This occurs especially during a period of increasing inflation, particularly in the health sector, making it difficult for bond seniors to provide the health care they need. Scott denounces these cuts and asks politicians to prioritize their seniors over political manipulation.
Meanwhile, the administration’s handling of MA coordination raises serious concerns about its true priorities. Democrats continue to argue that Republicans are trying to dismantle Medicare, but it is the Biden administration that is actively reducing programs that have provided relief and affordable prices to millions. These political tactics ignore the reality that MA is a success story. It should be strengthened, not hindered.
President Trump, who has pledged to protect Medicare, now has the opportunity to reverse these harmful policies. His leadership, along with Congressional actions, is essential to maintaining the affordability and accessibility of MA. American seniors should not be a collateral damage in the ideological battle over health care. Instead, Washington must commit to maintain the Medicare advantage and ensure that older people continue to receive the high quality care they deserve.
George Jackoo, 81, has retired from his career as a public health and former Osceola County Republican State Commission.
