Clinton, Trump talk Medicare plans during 3rd presidential debate — 6 highlights

During last night's third presidential debate, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump discussed their plans for Medicare and healthcare reform, according to Medscape.

Here are six highlights:

1. Ms. Clinton said she planned to keep both Medicare and Social Security viable through "more resources and smarter decisions." To obtain resources for these programs, the Democratic candidate plans to have the wealthy and corporations "pay their fair share."

2. Donald Trump said he plans to revamp Medicare and Social Security by growing the economy, which Mr. Trump said will "grow at a record rate."

3. Debate moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News countered that growing the economy will not help with entitlements, to which Mr. Trump said it will. Mr. Trump went on to say he plans to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, saying premium increases for ACA policies have increased between 60 percent and 90 percent.

4. Regarding Mr. Trump's repeal and replace plans, Ms. Clinton said repealing the health law would only exacerbate our nation's issues with Medicare.

5. Medicare's board of trustees estimates the program's Part A for hospital care will be depleted of funds in 2028, leaving Medicare completely reliant on tax revenue. Medicare's Part B fund and Part D do not have the same risk of running out of funds as its general revenue income and beneficial incomes reset each year.

6. The Social Security fund for retirees is projected to run out of funds in 2035, which will result in taxes covering almost 77 percent of benefits.

More articles on coding & billing:
A snapshot into America's nearly 27M uninsured population — 6 thoughts
HHS secretary proclaims SC Medicaid expansion inevitable: 3 notes
CareCredit expands locations, scope of coverage: 5 things to know

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.