Three in four senior voters surveyed nationwide said they would be less likely to support a member of Congress who voted to cut Medicare Advantage funding, according to a new poll released weeks before the November midterm elections.
The survey, conducted by Echelon Insights for Medicare Advantage Majority, an organization that advocates for the program, found opposition to funding cuts across party lines. Sixty-seven percent of Republicans, 79 percent of independents and 83 percent of Democrats said support for cuts would make them less likely to vote for a lawmaker.
The poll surveyed 1,000 registered likely voters ages 65 and older nationwide September 16-21. Medicare Advantage Majority released the findings October 13.
Overall, 81 percent of respondents opposed congressional proposals to cut Medicare Advantage funding, including 71 percent who strongly opposed them. Eighty-three percent said funding should be maintained or increased.
The findings also tied the program to concerns about household expenses. Ninety-one percent agreed that Medicare Advantage funding is a cost-of-living issue as well as a health care issue.
“Seniors across party lines view this program as essential to their financial security and their health,” Kristen Soltis Anderson, a partner at Echelon Insights who led the research, said.
Sixty-three percent of respondents said they were extremely or very concerned about health care costs, compared with 52 percent who expressed that level of concern about housing costs.
Medicare Advantage is an alternative to traditional Medicare offered through Medicare-approved private insurers. Most plans include prescription drug coverage and additional benefits such as dental, vision and hearing coverage. In many cases, beneficiaries must use providers within their plan’s network.
Among respondents enrolled in Medicare Advantage, 90 percent reported favorable views of the program, according to the release.
Asked about potential funding cuts, 81 percent of respondents anticipated higher out-of-pocket costs, 67 percent anticipated reductions in supplemental benefits and 65 percent anticipated worse or more expensive prescription drug coverage. Fifty-three percent anticipated losing access to preferred doctors or hospitals.
“Seniors on fixed incomes have no margin for unexpected costs,” Taylor Keeney, spokesperson for Medicare Advantage Majority, said.
The organization is urging candidates and lawmakers to oppose funding reductions. According to the survey, 92 percent of respondents agreed that Medicare Advantage funding is an important political issue and that congressional votes on it should matter when deciding whom to support.
