Vice President Kamala Harris's recent statement regarding former President Donald Trump's alleged attempts to cut Medicare has come under scrutiny.
According to a fact check by Breitbart News, Harris's claim that Trump tried to cut Medicare every year during his presidency is deemed false.
The fact check challenges Harris's assertion made during a speech on her proposed economic policy. Harris stated that Trump had attempted to cut Medicare annually throughout his term, potentially threatening a program relied upon by millions of seniors.
However, evidence suggests that this claim does not align with the actual budget proposals put forth by the Trump administration.
An NBC News fact check also found that Trump's White House budget proposals did not call for benefit cuts to Medicare. Instead, the proposals suggested changes aimed at lowering payments to providers and suppliers through new incentives and a different inflation benchmark.
These proposed changes were similar in nature to measures implemented by Democrats under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The ACA's approach also involved lowering payments to hospitals and insurers, with the goal of extending Medicare's solvency.
Sahil Kapur, a senior political reporter for NBC News, commented on the recurring nature of this claim:
Democrats have been using this line for years. It's false. Trump's budgets didn't cut Medicare benefits; they targeted providers & suppliers—the same "cuts" Dems enacted in the ACA.
While the fact check focuses on refuting Harris's claim about Trump's Medicare policies, it also points out actions taken by the current Biden-Harris administration regarding Medicare.
Notably, the administration has moved to implement cuts to Medicare Advantage, a program that has gained significant popularity among seniors.
According to the article, over 50 percent of seniors, approximately 33 million individuals, choose Medicare Advantage over traditional Medicare. The Biden-Harris administration's approach to Medicare Advantage contrasts with their critique of the previous administration's Medicare policies.
The fact check also mentions recent developments concerning Medicare Part D under the current administration. It states that the Biden-Harris administration had to allocate billions of dollars to bail out Medicare Part D, with the aim of stabilizing premiums and addressing concerns among seniors.
This action was reportedly taken 100 days before the presidential election, suggesting its potential political significance. Joe Grogan, who served as the director of Trump's Domestic Policy Council, described this effort as putting a "tourniquet on a mortal wound."
Vice President Kamala Harris claimed that Donald Trump attempted to cut Medicare every year during his presidency, a statement that has been found to be false. According to NBC News, Trump's budget proposals aimed to reduce payments to Medicare providers and suppliers, similar to measures previously taken under Obamacare, but did not cut benefits directly. In contrast, the Biden-Harris administration has implemented cuts to Medicare Advantage, affecting over 50 percent of seniors who prefer it to traditional Medicare.
