A month into new leadership, Medicare future still in question

AARP hopes Trump will keep promise not to cut Medicare or SS.

The future direction of Medicare still remains a little murky just weeks into the Trump presidency.

From the Wisconsin AARP, Lisa Lamkins is eyeing developments in Washington warily but hopefully.

She is especially hopeful about President Donald Trump’s campaign promises not to cut Medicare or Social Security.

“In particular, we are hopeful that he will stick with that promise,” Lamkins said, “and that he will encourage Congress to stop some of these plans they have to turn Medicare into a voucher program.”

Repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would lead to more problems.

“We’re really concerned that that repeal will mean older Americans are going to have to pay more for their health insurance,” Lamkins said. “They’re going to have higher drug costs because (the ACA) helped close the Medicare Part D doughnut hole.”

Lamkins said the best case scenario is that Trump will stick to his campaign pledge to not cut Medicare but will also blunt privatization efforts by other Republicans and change his mind about repealing the ACA.