XPost: alt.fan.rush-limbaugh, alt.politics.republicans, talk.politics.guns
'Time to put the Inflation Reduction Act on ice'
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https://www.wnd.com/2025/01/__trashed-56/>
'America's seniors won't be fooled. The Biden Administration and its congressional allies passed the ironically named Inflation Reduction Act
(IRA) in 2022 without attracting a single Republican vote, touting the legislation as a win for bringing down drug costs for Medicare
beneficiaries. What its backers didn't say is that the law would cause
seniors' out-of-pocket Medicare costs to dramatically increase and irresponsibly limit drug access while siphoning Medicare off to other
Democrat pet projects.
Seniors know that the IRA dealt them a raw deal and they're furious, as
a recent AMAC Action-sponsored poll conducted by ProMark Research
reveals. The broad consensus among seniors over the IRA's impact on
Medicare costs, drug access, and green energy subsidies is significant
given that the survey is drawn from a diverse group of 800 participants,
with political affiliations spanning 39% Republican, 33% Democrat, and
25% Independent and which is 46% men and 54% women.
Respondents were particularly outraged over the IRA's changes to
Medicare's prescription drug coverage program (Part D). A staggering 83% expressed concern about rising premiums. Now, keep in mind that the
IRA's backers promised to make the Medicare Part D beneficiaries better
off by mandating caps on out-of-pocket expenses and limiting base
premium increases. And part of that plan meant shifting costs to
insurance companies serving Part D. As a result, Part D premiums in some
cases increased by over 400% in just two years. Some companies have left
the Part D market, leaving Medicare beneficiaries with fewer plan
choices and restricted access to care.
Adding to their frustration, respondents viewed subsidies to insurance companies meant to hide the rising cost of premiums (in an election
year) as a misuse of taxpayer money. An overwhelming 78% of the senior
voter respondents opposed ongoing government subsidies to insurance
companies. These subsidies were part of an 11th hour "demonstration"
gimmick the Biden administration cobbled together to rescue the act from
some of its most damaging, but predictable, consequences.
For seniors on fixed incomes, even small increases in healthcare costs
can be devastating. Respondents frequently cited fears of being priced
out of their plans and losing access to critical medications. The
narrowing of prescription drug plan options—down 11% in 2024 and
projected to drop another 26% in 2025—compounds their concerns.
Major drug companies have already cited the IRA as the reason for
pulling back on their development of new drugs, because with price
controls, they don't have the money for research. It can cost more
than $2.5 billion just to develop a single drug. This is going to hurt seniors, who take more prescription medications than the general
population. There has been a reported 36% decline in new drug trials
just since the Act's passage. And 135 cures for diseases may never be developed as a result of the IRA, according to University of Chicago
economist Tom Phillipson. Seniors are justly alarmed over delayed or
lost advancement in life-saving treatments and cures, with 86% of
seniors in the survey agreeing that efforts to reduce costs should not
hinder access to essential medications.
The survey revealed that seniors are particularly incensed about taxpayer-funded green energy subsidies. The poll reveals that 83% of respondents are either "very concerned" or "somewhat concerned" about
billions of taxpayer dollars benefiting a small, wealthier segment of Americans. They're understandably upset that the IRA is diverting
hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicare programs toward green
energy schemes such as electric vehicle credits, which almost
exclusively benefit people with substantial incomes. The policy could
scarcely be more out of touch with the everyday struggles of average
Americans, particularly seniors living on fixed incomes.
One of the strongest takeaways from the AMAC Action poll is the
overwhelming support among seniors for reallocating IRA funds back to Medicare. Across the political spectrum, fully 85% of respondents
agreed that Congress should redirect funds diverted from Medicare for
green energy subsidies and other initiatives to reduce Medicare costs
for seniors. Many argued that these funds should be used to lower
premiums, reduce out-of-pocket expenses, and expand coverage
options—critical priorities for their financial and physical well-being.
The AMAC Action poll underscores the growing consensus that the current trajectory of Medicare under the IRA is unsustainable and requires
immediate attention. Seniors are united in calling for the realignment
of federal spending priorities to better serve their healthcare needs.
In fact, a decisive 70% of respondents support pausing or suspending the
IRA's implementation to address its flaws or consider a repeal.
At a minimum, the incoming Trump administration should pause execution
of this harmful program long enough to gather feedback and implement
needed reforms to mitigate its damaging consequences. Better yet, the
Trump administration should use the pause to navigate the law through
full repeal
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