Republicans being misleading over Medicare

Editor:

The fact is Medicare benefits have not been cut by the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare as Republicans have misnamed it. Another fact is Medicare itself has been strengthened and coverage expanded with the passage of the ACA. The "cuts" to Medicare that Republicans keep yammering about are in reality and in fact, savings that improve the solvency of Medicare.

These savings are achieved through a series of payment reforms, service deliver innovations and increased efforts to reduce fraud, waste and abuse. As a result of the ACA, many on Medicare now receive free preventative services like wellness visits/annual physicals and cancer screening, which results in early detection of problems, which in turn results in further health care cost savings and improves the success rate of treatment.

These facts can be easily verified by anyone who is honestly interested. Go online to http://www.medicare.gov; search Affordable Care Act; or go to your nearest Social Security office or call 1-800-MEDICARE and ask how the ACA affects Medicare.

You will get these same facts and the online search will get dozens of links, including Elder Law, which consistently confirm these facts.

So don't be snookered by these deceptive Republican talking points about medicare "cuts" that are being parroted across the country. Their intent is to mislead.

Frank Ferguson

Billings