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"I was the first & only potential GOP candidate to state there will be no cuts to Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid," [Trump] tweeted on May 7, 2015, a little more than a month before he entered the race.
https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/596338364187602944?lang=en
-- 2017 --
February 28: Paul Ryan: 'We are hosed' if we don't tackle entitlements like Medicare
Ryan has long pushed for reforming Medicare to keep that system solvent, but he also argues strongly changing the big ticket entitlement is the only way to really rein in deficit spending.
"I've been a big time entitlement reformer for a long time because if you don't start bending the curve in the out years, we are hosed," Ryan said bluntly Tuesday morning.
https://www.cnn.com/2017/02/28/politics/paul-ryan-medicare-hosed/index.html
March 5: President Trump’s secretary of Health and Human Services on Sunday said the White House believes Medicare should be guaranteed for senior citizens.
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/322418-price-white-house-believes-medicare-is-a-guarantee-for-seniors
September 29: Senate Republicans’ budget proposes cutting $450 billion from Medicare ... Trump said Medicare wouldn’t get cut. Senate Republicans really wish they could do it.
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/9/29/16387518/senate-republicans-budget-cut-medicare
October 23: As deficits grow, Trump says he won’t touch Social Security, Medicare
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/oct/23/trump-says-he-wont-touch-social-security-medicare/
November 28: Senate Tax Bill Would Trigger Medicare Cuts ... Measure would increase the federal debt, lead to mandatory reductions in 'safety net' programs
If you read through the umpteen pages of the Senate tax bill, you won’t find a clause that says it dramatically cuts Medicare spending. But the effect of the legislation being debated this week would be to slash up to $25 billion from the health program in 2018 and possibly more in the future.
https://www.aarp.org/politics-society/advocacy/info-2017/senate-tax-medicare-cuts-fd.html
December 3: Will GOP Cut Social Security And Medicare Before Or After The 2018 Election?
https://www.forbes.com/sites/stancollender/2017/12/03/will-gop-cut-social-security-and-medicare-before-or-after-the-2018-election/#3f7d9c3e35ef
December 6: House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) said Wednesday that congressional Republicans will aim next year to reduce spending on both federal health care and anti-poverty programs, citing the need to reduce America's deficit.
“We're going to have to get back next year at entitlement reform, which is how you tackle the debt and the deficit,” Ryan said during an appearance on Ross Kaminsky's talk radio show. "... Frankly, it's the health care entitlements that are the big drivers of our debt, so we spend more time on the health care entitlements — because that's really where the problem lies, fiscally speaking.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/12/01/gop-eyes-post-tax-cut-changes-to-welfare-medicare-and-social-security/
December 9: House Speaker Paul Ryan wants to cut Medicare, punishing a key part of the GOP’s base – older Americans
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/house-speaker-paul-ryan-wants-to-cut-medicare-punishing-a-key-part-of-the-gops-base-older-americans
December 21: Top Republican says Senate won’t touch your Medicare next year
https://www.108praiseradio.com/?p=1645202
-- 2018 --
February 14: President Trump signed these Medicare changes into law. Here’s what to watch for
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/making-sense/president-trump-signed-these-medicare-changes-into-law-heres-what-to-watch-for
February 19: Attention, seniors: Trump’s budget is coming for your Medicare benefits
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/get-there/wp/2018/02/19/attention-seniors-trumps-budget-is-coming-for-your-medicare-benefits/?utm_term=.f8ff6ef6f0a5
June 5: Medicare’s trust fund for inpatient care will become insolvent in 2026, three years earlier than previously expected, the trustees reported Tuesday. The insolvency date for Social Security stayed steady, with a projection of 2034. That does not mean, however, that the funds will be exhausted by those dates. Rather, those are the dates that the programs’ costs will exceed the tax revenue coming in. The report found that the programs will be able to cover about three-quarters of promised benefits for the next half-century without any policy changes.
Announcing the report, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin insisted that the tax cuts Republicans passed earlier this year will generate so much economic activity that they will more than cover the benefits of the tens of millions of American who depend on the programs.
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/medicare-social-security-forecasts-show-no-sign-of-trumps-promised-growth
June 13: Under his [Paul Ryan's] plan, the Congressional Budget Office projected that by 2050, federal spending on major health care programs (Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program and Obamacare exchange subsidies) would fall from 5 1/2% of gross domestic product in 2010 to 4 3/4% by 2050. Not draconian.
Without any changes, the CBO projected that spending on those programs would grow to an unsustainable 12 1/4% of GDP by 2050.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/06/13/medicare-social-security-bankrupt-trustees-spending-column/682015002/
August 22: 4 ways the Trump administration wants to change Medicare
https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/22/politics/medicare-trump/index.html
September 7: In the battle for control of Congress, President Donald Trump's weapon of choice is fear.
At a rally for Republican Senate nominee Matt Rosendale in Billings, Montana, on Thursday night, the president warned his faithful that Democrats would raise their taxes, take their guns, block his wall, abolish the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, open U.S. borders, end Social Security and cut Medicare.
He's also warned supporters this summer that the outcome in November could spell trouble for freedom of speech and religion and the First Amendment — and that if the GOP loses, violence could follow.
The overwhelming majority of the claims are patently false, but with two months to go — and analysts in both parties convinced that there’s a nonremote chance Republicans could lose at least the House — Trump is in desperation mode.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/fear-loathing-trump-campaign-trail-n907521
September 7: In the battle for control of Congress, President Donald Trump's weapon of choice is fear.
At a rally for Republican Senate nominee Matt Rosendale in Billings, Montana, on Thursday night, the president warned his faithful that Democrats would raise their taxes, take their guns, block his wall, abolish the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, open U.S. borders, end Social Security and cut Medicare.
He's also warned supporters this summer that the outcome in November could spell trouble for freedom of speech and religion and the First Amendment — and that if the GOP loses, violence could follow.
The overwhelming majority of the claims are patently false, but with two months to go — and analysts in both parties convinced that there’s a nonremote chance Republicans could lose at least the House — Trump is in desperation mode.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/fear-loathing-trump-campaign-trail-n907521
September 12: Paul Ryan Says “Entitlement Reform” Will Continue in 2019
https://www.rollcall.com/video/paul_ryan_says_entitlement_reform_will_continue_in_2019
September 28: House Republicans Pass More Tax Cuts for the Rich
Today House Republicans passed a second set of tax cuts to benefit the wealthiest Americans and big corporations at the expense of working families. Their tax cuts have led to trillion dollar deficits, which Republicans are now using as an excuse to go after Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
https://www.protectourcare.org/house-republicans-pass-more-tax-cuts-for-the-rich/
October 10: FACT CHECK: Trump's False Claims On 'Medicare For All'
https://www.npr.org/2018/10/10/656249981/fact-check-trumps-false-claims-on-medicare-for-all
October 10: Donald Trump column: Democrats are for 'open-borders socialism'
... Democrats 'Medicare for All' plan will demolish promises to seniors
The Democrats want to outlaw private health care plans, taking away freedom to choose plans while letting anyone cross our border. We must win this.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/10/10/donald-trump-democrats-open-borders-medicare-all-single-payer-column/1560533002/
October 10: USA Today published an opinion column by President Trump Wednesday in which the president falsely accused Democrats of trying to "eviscerate" Medicare, while defending his own record of protecting health care coverage for seniors and others.
The column — published just weeks ahead of the midterm elections — underscores the political power of health care to energize voters. But it makes a number of unsubstantiated claims.
https://www.npr.org/2018/10/10/656249981/fact-check-trumps-false-claims-on-medicare-for-all
October 10: In reaction to President Donald Trump's op-ed on Wednesday—titled, "Democrats 'Medicare for All' plan will demolish promises to seniors"—Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) responded in a sensible and honest way by calling the president a liar.
"No, Mr. President. Our proposal would not cut benefits for seniors on Medicare. In fact, we expand benefits."
—Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)
And though Sanders did not actually verbatim say "Trump is a liar," he did declare in a video response posted to social media that Trump "has lied today" as he pointed out the "19 blatant lies" contained in the president's piece.
"I know, I know this [is] shocking," Sanders states sarcastically in the video, referring to Trump's untruths and misrepresentations about the Medicare for All bill the senator introduced last year.
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/10/10/i-know-shocking-says-sanders-trump-lying-about-medicare-all
October 15: Trump attacks ‘Crazy Bernie’ Sanders over Medicare plans
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/411547-trump-attacks-crazy-bernie-sanders-over-medicare-plans
October 25: Trump Proposes Allowing Medicare to Base Drug Prices on What Other Countries Pay
https://www.ajmc.com/newsroom/trump-proposes-allowing-medicare-to-base-drug-prices-on-what-other-countries-pay
October 26: Industry Groups Fire Back as Trump Proposes Cutting Part B Medicare Drug Costs
https://www.genengnews.com/news/industry-groups-fire-back-as-trump-proposes-cutting-part-b-medicare-drug-costs/
November 27: Trump Medicare plan promises lower prescription prices for seniors, but also risks losing coverage of some critical cancer, HIV, depression drugs
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/27/trump-medicare-plan-cuts-prices-and-coverage-of-some-critical-drugs.html
November 27: Trump Wants to Restrict Access to HIV Meds for People on Medicare
https://www.poz.com/article/Trump-wants-restrict-access-hiv-meds-medicare
November 28: Trump budget director: Medicare, Social Security can be cut without eliminating benefits
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/nov/28/budget-director-mick-mulvaney-says-medicare-social/
December 1: Trump Administration Peppers Inboxes With Plugs for Private Medicare Plans
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/01/us/politics/trump-medicare-advantage-plans.html
December 4: The Health 202: Trump administration lets Medicare plans off the hook
The Trump administration is holding off on punishing Medicare Advantage plans for error-ridden doctor directories -- further evidence the conservative-led Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is showing special favor to the alternative program over traditional Medicare offerings.
In an audit quietly released late Friday, CMS found that nearly half the Medicare Advantage plans it reviewed had at least one error in the directories used by patients to find a health provider. In some cases, directories listed the wrong location or phone number. Sometimes they indicated a doctor is accepting new patients even though he or she isn’t.
This isn’t the first such report from CMS — it’s the third. Last year, the agency threatened to impose fines on the plans if they didn’t clean up their act. This isn’t the first such report from CMS — it’s the third. Last year, the agency threatened to impose fines on the plans if they didn’t clean up their act. While this year's report shows no substantial improvement over last year (or the year before that), CMS isn't following through on the threat.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/the-health-202/2018/12/04/the-health-202-trump-administration-lets-medicare-plans-off-the-hook/5c058e4b1b326b60d12800f1/?utm_term=.b28f2c2fab2e
December 14: When Bernie Sanders went on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert a week ago, he took a victory lap for his agenda.
"A few years ago when we said that health care is a right, not a privilege, and that we should create a Medicare-for-all, single-payer system, I was told I'm crazy, it's extreme, I'm a fringe guy," Sanders said. "Seventy percent of the American people, in the last polls I've seen, now support Medicare for all."
https://www.npr.org/2018/12/14/675655962/here-are-the-outside-the-box-progressive-ideas-2020-democrats-are-pitching
