Leaked GOP list outlines plan to cut $479B from Medicare: Politico

Politico has acquired an early list from Republican lawmakers that shows the programs they're considering slashing from the federal government.

It includes things like welfare, funds for climate programs, and the Affordable Care Act. It also states Republicans are looking at "changes" to Medicare — something Donald Trump and many Republicans promised they wouldn't touch.

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According to the list, published by Politico Friday, there are three big cuts to Medicare. Among those is the decision to equalize all payments across the country for the same procedure.

Currently, if someone on Medicare has a heart attack in Oklahoma, the costs would be different to the same procedure in Florida. The GOP wants to give the same amount regardless of location. So, if a Medicare patient lives in an area where medical care is more expensive, they will be on the hook for any overages.

They also want to cut Medicare's "bad debt," which is when Medicare will send a hospital 65% of the debt that they have for caring for patients on Medicare. The Congressional Budget Office explained that if a hospital is only paid a small percentage if someone has a heart attack and a patient can't afford to pay the rest, the hospital is compensated by Medicare.

The list obtained by Politico suggests Republicans want to stop that.

Another item on the list is "BCA Mandatory Sequester Extension," which refers to an extension of the mandatory spending cuts, known as sequestration, that were originally implemented under the Budget Control Act of 2011 (BCA).

The BCA was enacted to address the federal government's budget deficit. It established caps on discretionary spending and required automatic, across-the-board spending cuts, or sequestration, to certain mandatory and discretionary programs if Congress failed to meet deficit reduction targets. Republicans want to continue that for more years.

The total amount they want to cut from Medicare would equal $479 billion, Politico reported. To put that in context, the Office of Management and Budgets said the U.S. spent $820 billion on national defense during fiscal year 2023.

Congress wants to make 30 more cuts, including to welfare programs and the student loan bailout. They also want to eliminate $500 billion in "emergency spending," according to the list.

Read it here.