The 2020 presidential election is coming closer, with both the Democratic and Republican parties coming to decisions about their frontrunners. The Democratic party nominated Joe Biden, while current president Donald Trump will run for a second term on the Republican ticket. Though Donald Trump has indicated he could make some cuts to Medicare, Joe Biden is leaning in the opposite direction.
So, what is Donald Trump’s stance on Medicare during the 2020 presidential campaign? What changes does he want to make? Finally, how likely are these changes to become reality? We will answer all of these questions and more, but first, let’s look at exactly what the Trump campaign wants to do.
While Joe Biden has made it clear that he wants to expand Medicare, the Trump campaign has not been as forthcoming with specific proposals. However, Trump has already enacted some changes to Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D to provide greater coverage to older adults who acquire these plans.
Trump has not indicated that he will make any further expansions to Medicare if elected in 2020. In fact, he has implied that he would be open to making cuts to both Medicare and Social Security in the future. That said, he has not made any specific proposals or indicated who would be affected by the potential changes.
The only concrete change that Trump actually wants to make happen is a payroll tax cut. Though this isn’t a direct change to Medicare coverage, the payroll tax is the main source of funding for both Medicare and Social Security. As a result, a payroll tax cut could affect the solvency of these federal programs and potentially lead to reduced benefits.
At the moment, Congress is trying to compromise on a Coronavirus relief package. Though many Democrats and Republicans have shown support for expansions to Medicare, Trump said that he would not sign the next stimulus package into law unless it included a payroll tax cut. He believes that this tax cut would help put extra money into workers’ pockets and ultimately help people get through these difficult economic times.
However, a payroll tax cut is not very popular outside of the White House. Democrats are staunchly opposed to the measure, and many Republicans think that it will only have to ever-growing national deficit. As a result, Trump’s payroll tax cut is unlikely to become law.
Donald Trump does not want to make any significant changes to Medicare. While he has already made some minor changes that increase benefits for certain people, his payroll tax cut could ultimately lead to fewer benefits in the future. In any case, we will need to wait and see what happens in November and the following months to know if any changes will actually go into effect.
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