Panicked Dems convince Obama admin to cancel Medicare Advantage cuts

King Obama
Image via Salon.com

What.a.surprise. Not. Via The Hill:

The Obama administration announcedΒ MondayΒ that planned cuts to Medicare Advantage would not go through as anticipated amid election-year opposition from congressional Democrats.

The cuts would have reduced benefits that seniors receive from health plans in the program, which is intended as an alternative to Medicare.

Under cuts planned by the administration, insurers offering the plans were to see their federal payments reduced by 1.9 percent, which likely would have necessitated cuts for customers.

Instead, the administration said the federal payments to insurers will increase next year by .40 percent.

The healthcare law included $200 billion in cuts to Medicare Advantage over 10 years, in part to pay for ObamaCare.

The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) on Monday said changes in the healthcare market meant it did not need to make those cuts to Medicare Advantage this year.

It cited an increase in healthy beneficiaries under Medicare, which it said has lowered projected costs for that program.

CMS separately is delaying a risk assessment proposal that was set to take affect under ObamaCare.

Of course.

Now, keep in mind that there were Republicans who complained about these cuts as well, but because vulnerable Democrats who have been steadily losing support in their home states over Obamacare sounded the alarm bell, the administration decided to hold off on the cuts to Medicare Advantage… at least for this critical election year.

Anyone wanna predict the next delay or postponement King Obama will grant on behalf of his party in the next few months in order to try and help maintain their Senate majority and contain the damage in the US House?

(Hat tip: Memeorandum)