Atlanta Embraces Tenets of Obamacare, Cuts Health Costs by $3.2 Million

Atlanta Embraces Tenets of Obamacare, Cuts Health Costs by $3.2 Million: The city’s approach to Medicare Advantage is exactly the kind of cost-saving measure that President Obama’s health reform law encourages. The Medicare Advantage program, which allows beneficiaries to enroll into a private plan rather than the traditional fee-for-service Medicare program, has a history of over-paying insurance providers. To address this issue, Obamacare diverts about $716 billion from Medicare by eliminating useless subsidies to insurance companies and providers under Medicare Advantage. Although the GOP has tried its best to convince the country that Obama’s cuts to Medicare Advantage are weakening the Medicare program, they are actually intended to stem the tide of excess payments — and help ensure that cities like Atlanta won’t have to switch to private insurance to save on Medicare Advantage costs.