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Older Americans should not be used as pawns in political games. But that's exactly what could be happening right now in the waning days of President Biden's administration.
President Biden has repeatedly claimed over the years that it is Republicans who want to cut the Medicare program. President Biden needs to take a long hard look in the mirror. In fact, over the past two years, it's the Biden administration that has been quietly chipping away at one of the most popular health care programs for seniors: Medicare Advantage. And now, clearly not satisfied with the damage they have done, the Biden team appears to be trying to force another round of cuts on the way out.
Medicare Advantage shows how choice and competition can lead to better outcomes at lower costs for seniors and taxpayers. Approximately 35 million older Americans, more than half of all Medicare beneficiaries, choose Medicare Advantage for their health insurance over traditional government-run Medicare plans. Medicare Advantage plans are offered and managed by private health insurance companies that contract with Medicare. Its popularity has skyrocketed over the past few years as it offers better value at lower prices for seniors. Additional benefits such as dental and vision care, increased access to preventive care, and improved health outcomes under Medicare Advantage plans are helping to instill that value among older Americans.
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But despite the popularity of the Medicare Advantage program, the Biden administration appears intent on undermining the program by prioritizing partisan ideology over the welfare of seniors. Over the past two years, the administration has implemented a series of changes that effectively cut funding for Medicare Advantage. Although these cuts are disguised as “salary adjustments,” the reality is clear. They are cutting funding to programs that are overwhelmingly supported by seniors. result? For many Medicare Advantage enrollees, premiums are higher, benefits are reduced, and provider networks are narrower.
Now, it appears the Biden administration is sneaking in another round of Medicare Advantage cuts. Two days before Thanksgiving, a notice was quietly filed with the Office of Management and Budget indicating that the government had begun a regulatory review of Medicare Advantage rates for 2026. The danger is clear. Taking this rate review too far outside the regulatory framework during the Biden administration's lame duck period would mean the incoming Trump team would have little time to ease the process. By federal law, the last day for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to issue advance notice of 2026 Medicare Advantage rate changes is the first week of February 2025, just weeks after President Trump's inauguration.
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Between the complexity of the payment renewal process and the impending deadline, the incoming Trump administration has no chance to prevent further cuts to Medicare Advantage approved by Biden, cuts that Trump called for during his campaign. Very short. He promised to finish it.
The Biden administration needs to stop hiding the ball and give up efforts to undermine the incoming Trump administration. We need to call out CMS bureaucrats and stop them from pursuing further proposed cuts to Medicare Advantage that are harmful to older Americans.
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The Medicare Advantage program has room for improvement. Republicans are pushing for a competitive bidding process that would use competition to reduce costs for seniors and taxpayers. Members of both parties are pushing for changes to risk adjustment calculations to improve a system that can be gamed and rewards companies for documenting patient severity rather than actually improving outcomes. I'm looking for it. But rather than wanting to improve Medicare Advantage, the left wants to weaken the program to advance its long-term goal of centralizing more health care under government control.
This is more than just Medicare, it's about trust. Seniors look to Medicare Advantage not only for medical care, but also for peace of mind. They need to know that their reporting is safe and not influenced by political gamesmanship. President Trump understands this, which is why his first administration worked to protect and expand the program. Republicans know that older adults have a right to choice, competition, and care that meets their needs, not bureaucratic interference.
