How Obamacare Will Impact NJ Seniors

Cutting Medicare Timeline

2011

-      Medicare Advantage cuts begin

-      Medicare cuts to home health care begin

-      Wealthier seniors ($85k/$170k) begin paying higher Part D premiums

-      Medicare reimbursement cuts when seniors use diagnostic imaging like MRIs, CT scans, etc.

-      Medicare cuts begin to ambulance services, ambulatory surgery centers, diagnostic labs, and durable medical equipment

-      No Medicare payments to physician-owned hospitals

-      Seniors prohibited from purchasing power wheelchairs unless they first rent for 13 months

-      More Medicare cuts to long term care hospitals begin

-      Additional Medicare cuts to hospitals and reductions to nursing homes, assisted living and inpatient rehabilitation facilities begin

2012

-      Medicare cuts to dialysis treatment

-      Medicare to reduce spending by using an HMO-like coordinated care model

-      More Medicare cuts to inpatient psychiatric hospitals

2013

-      Medicare cuts begin to hospitals with high readmission rates

-      Medicare cuts to hospice care begin through new, permanent “productivity adjustment” to reimbursement rates for all hospitals, Ambulatory Surgery Centers, skilled nursing facilities, hospice, clinical laboratories, and medical equipment

-      Increase Medicare wage tax by 0.9% and impose a new 3.8% tax on unearned, non-active business income for those earning over $200k

-      Eliminate deduction for Part D retiree drug subsidy employers receive

-      New 2.3% excise tax on medical devices, driving up costs to patients

-      Medicare cuts to hospitals which treat low income seniors begin

2014

-      More Medicare cuts to home health care begin

-      Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) begins submitting proposals to cut Medicare

-      Medicare payment cuts for hospital acquired infections

2015

-      Even more Medicare cuts to home health begin