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ACA is bad for Medicare, seniors

Scott Aument Groton

Publication: The Day

Published 09/10/2012 12:00 AM

Updated 09/07/2012 05:18 PM

Response to letter to the editor on Aug. 29 titled, "Repealing ACA would expand deficit": If there is going to be "savings" from inefficiencies in Medicare, why aren't we just changing Medicare to fix it? Because the actual goal in my opinion is to force people into the government run plan. Both sides agree if nothing is done, Medicare will be insolvent in 10 years. The Affordable Care Act cuts $716 billion from Medicare over the next 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office and uses these savings from Medicare to fund other entitlement expansions mandated by ACA. Medicare becomes a bank for ACA, and the savings from payment cuts are not put back into making Medicare solvent.
Such massive cuts do impact Medicare benefits, as well as seniors' access to those benefits. The impact of these cuts will be detrimental to seniors' access to care. The Medicare trustees 2012 report concludes that these lower payment rates will cause an estimated 15 percent of hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and home health agencies to operate at a loss by 2019 and 25 percent to operate at a loss in 2030. This loss means these facilities are likely to cut back their services to Medicare patients or close their doors, making it difficult for seniors to access these services.