Did Obamacare really cut Medicare?

I guess, if you repeat a lie over and over, you expect it to become true. This is not the case in Lester Still’s letter of Nov. 2, when he cites the supposed $716 billion cut from Medicare in the Affordable Care Act. I challenge Mr. Still, or anyone else to show where even one dollar has been cut from Medicare in the Affordable Care Act !

What was cut, in addition to savings from fraud and waste, was the subsidy paid to Medicare Advantage companies. You see, when the prescription drug bill was passed in 2003 (by a Republican-led Congress and Republican president), the Medicare Advantage was quietly included, which subsidized insurance companies at 119 percent of standard Medicare rates. The savings are simply reducing the government subsidy to the same level as standard Medicare. Many people were lulled into what is frequently called a “free lunch” policy of Medicare Advantage.

Speaking of which, Mr. Still and his wife obviously have Medicare Advantage policies, since standard Medicare supplemental policies do not include prescription drug coverage. Those plans are sold separately by “for profit” insurance companies. So, if your insurance company is changing your coverage, it has nothing to do with the Affordable Care Act and does not, in his words “impair quality of health care for Medicare patients.” I would suggest that he, or any other misinformed folks, consult with a qualified insurance agent. —Wes Higgins, Kalispell