What are your views about the TV ad stating that Senator Barbara Boxer voted to cut Medicare by 500 million?

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What about it? A lot of Democrats voted to cut payments to Medicare Advantage providers. It was necessasry to do that because for years the Medicare had been paying for extras just to induce doctors to accept Medicare. The info I had from Dept of HHS about this said it will keep Medicare solvent 12 years longer, just this one action. They expect to recover the billions in fraudulent claims paid and then will restore the reimbursements.

If Barbara Boxer, an ultra social liberal voted for this, it had to be a good move. These are the facts about the so called cuts:

* Limits future payment increases to hospitals, nursing homes and home health agencies

* Cuts funding for private Medicare Advantage program

* Gives $250 to Medicare enrollees for the so-called prescription doughnut hole; fills Medicare Part D doughnut hole over 10 years

* Boosts payments to primary care physicians

* Creates independent commission to recommend how to cut Medicare spending

* Offers bonuses to high-quality and efficient Medicare Advantage programs

* Funds pilot programs to cut down on waste and root out fraud in Medicare

About 25 percent of seniors, or 10 million people, are in a private Medicare Advantage plan, an alternative to traditional Medicare, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. The plans can offer added benefits and lower co-pays, but enrollees are subject to restrictions and provider networks of private insurers. The publicly subsidized plans cost the government 14 percent more than traditional Medicare plans.