Staff writer for The Washington Free Beacon Ellison Barber discussed how changes to Medicare Advantage could impact Democrats this November Tuesday on Fox News.
The mandated cuts to Medicare Advantage were passed in Obamacare, but now 60 House Democrats fearful of electoral repercussions are urging HHS to keep Medicare Advantage spending at the same level.
Barber said the plans are popular among seniors because they offer broader coverage with more benefits.
Under the Obamacare mandated cuts, seniors could see copayment increases and the loss of extra benefits such as a dental plan.
Given 15 million seniors currently use Medicare Advantage, Barber noted the coming changes could create problems for Democrats this November.
"It could be incredibly toxic because when you think about who turns out in midterm elections, it's typically older people, people who are either in Medicare or potentially about to go into it. If you make that group of people angry, they're going to show you when they go and vote," she said.
Even more problematic for Democrats, Barber told host Jon Scott several swing states like North Carolina and Louisiana have a significant percentages of Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage.
"If you look at the Senate, two of the biggest tossup races right now are Louisiana and North Carolina. In Louisiana 26 percent of their Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan. In North Carolina, that's 20 percent. That adds up to a lot of people showing up to the polls."