Former president’s actions
Opposing ads from super PACs assisting their presidential proposals claim that previous statements or actions suggest they once did, and thus seniors ought not to believe them. Both Trump and DeSantis previously backed plans to reduce future expenditures on social security cuts and Medicare. None of the proposals that changed actually reduced current perks for adults or those nearing retirement age, but the proposals that DeSantis supported while in Congress would accomplish far more to reorganize the programs than Trump ever suggested as president.
Few politicians would cut social security cuts or Medicare.
It’s worth noting that few politicians say they’d cut social security cuts or Medicare, even if their plans would result in fewer benefits for seniors. They frequently frame their proposed changes in terms of preserving or saving popular programs. As a result, proposals such as promoting the retirement age or changing the way future benefits are calculated are presented as ways to ensure the program’s long-term viability, while competitors call them cuts to existing programs.
Trump issued a warning
When House Republicans began debating how to reduce government spending earlier this year, Trump warned them not to include any cuts to social security or Medicare.
Trump stated that Republicans should never vote to cut a single penny from Medicare or social security to help fund Joe Biden’s reckless spending spree. He went on to say that the cost of Biden’s programs ought to be carried by Washington bureaucrats, not hardworking American families.
Trump proposed several budget cuts, including aid to corrupt foreign countries, money used for climate extremism, and waste fraud and abuse. He also stated that we should not reduce the benefits that our seniors work for and pay for their entire lives. Save Social Security, not destroy it.
DeSantis voted for a rising age of eligibility.
Although DeSantis previously voted for changes such as raising the eligibility age for both programs, Florida’s governor indicated during an interview that he changes his position. DeSantis replied about the bipartisan group. It involves gradually increasing the full retirement age to 70 and changing the benefits formula for later retirees.
At the time of the interview, the bipartisan group did not talk about raising the full retirement age to 70. According to DeSantis, Florida has a higher percentage of seniors than almost any other state. Trump and DeSantis are now in agreement that no changes to the program are necessary. However, competing advertisements suggest that their records tell another story.
Accusations against DeSantis
PAC accuses DeSantis of supporting cuts to social security cuts and Medicare. According to FEC documents, the PAC got more than $60 million from Trump’s authority in 2022, accounting for more than 80% of the $73 million.
The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimated in 2013 that the RSC budget proposal would reduce Medicare spending by $129 billion over ten years and social security cuts spending by another $126 billion. And, as DeSantis put it, the proposals he supported would force future seniors to pay more out of pocket for health care services that are included in Medicare’s “open-ended entitlement” program.
The symbolic statement of priorities
The president’s budget proposals are primarily a symbolic statement of priorities rather than legislation that Congress would vote on. For example, in his proposed budget for the fiscal year 2021, despite his claim that he would not touch your social security or Medicare.
Trump did include several proposals to reduce Medicare spending growth by $600 billion over the next ten years. At the time, then-presidential candidate Joe Biden claimed that Trump’s proposal would destroy Medicare. The CRFB, on the other hand, stated that the Medicare proposals represent cost reductions rather than benefit cuts.
Trump’s proposal
Trump’s proposal for Medicare included:
- Making a single payment to post-acute care providers rather than multiple payments based on the location of care. ($105 billion in savings over ten years)
- Equalizing “site-of-service payments,” which means paying the same quantity whether services take place at a hospital or a doctor’s office. ($175 billion)
- Reduce payments to providers for bad debt, resulting in unpaid copays as well as deductibles from recipients. ($35 billion)
CRFB analyzed the Medicare proposals.
In a footnote to its analysis of the Medicare proposals, CRFB stated that lower provider payments “could affect access and quality in some select situations.” However, it stated that “there is little evidence of any significant effect,” especially for proposals that “largely focus on reducing excessive payments and spending more efficiently.” And, as previously stated, Obama proposed some changes when he was president.
Conclusion
In any of his budget proposals, Trump did not propose raising the eligibility ages for Medicare or Social Security. He also did not propose changes to the premium-support programs or changes to cost-of-living adjustments. However, both Trump and DeSantis said that they do not want to alter social security cuts and Medicare.
