Seniors concerned about Medicare cost increases, service cuts

For all the attention that providers and the professional associations advocating on their behalf pay to the sustainable growth rate (SGR) and related issues, a new survey finds that older adults generally are unaware of SGR-related legislation awaiting the Senate’s approval.

When informed about the payment reform bill that, if passed, would increase reimbursement to physicians for the care they provide under Medicare, 53 percent of the almost 2,000 registered voters aged 65 or more years participating in the Morning Consult survey expressed support. They were opposed by a 6:1 margin to legislation that would increase costs for Medicare beneficiaries, however, and they also expressed concerns related to potential service cuts.

Only 20 percent of the older adults said they had heard “a lot” or “some” about the SGR legislation, and just two percent indicated they had heard “a lot” about the proposed bill.  

Other survey highlights:

• 77 percent of older voters oppose legislation that would increase costs for Medicare beneficiaries.
• 81 percent of older voters oppose legislation that would cut Medicare-covered health services.
• 57 percent of older voters support increasing funding for rural home healthcare services.

The poll was conducted March 23 to 26.

Related content:

Senate kicks SGR vote to April

Lois Bowers

Lois A. Bowers was senior editor of I Advance Senior Care / Long-Term Living from 2013-2015.