Rep. Andy Ogles supports a Republican budget that would move Medicare toward a voucher system, giving seniors a fixed payment to buy private insurance or a federal plan—a change experts say would raise premiums and shift more costs onto older Americans. The same budget also pushes cuts to major health programs like Medicare and Medicaid, which could reduce benefits and increase out-of-pocket costs. Ogles has repeatedly tried to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act, which lets Medicare negotiate lower drug prices and caps annual prescription costs at $2,000. Repealing those reforms would take away billions in savings, drive up drug prices, and make health care more expensive for millions of seniors.
- Ogles is a member of the Republican Study Committee, the caucus that authored the FY2025 RSC budget. (ogles.house.gov)
- The FY2025 RSC budget proposes “implementing a premium support model” in which Medicare subsidies are benchmarked and seniors choose among private MA plans and a federal “Fed Plan,” i.e., a voucher-like approach. (hern.house.gov)
- CBO’s analysis of Medicare premium support options shows federal savings come from lowering federal contributions; depending on design and region, beneficiaries—especially in higher-cost areas—would face higher premiums compared with current law. (collections.nlm.nih.gov)
- Right-leaning modeling (American Action Forum’s Health & Economy) similarly projects that under premium support, premiums would be “significantly higher” for seniors who remain in fee‑for‑service Medicare, even as federal outlays fall. (americanactionforum.org)
¶ Additional House GOP plans would pressure Medicare benefits and seniors’ costs
- Independent reporting on the House GOP’s 2025 budget goals found that, per CBO, achieving targeted health-care savings would likely require reductions to major programs such as Medicare or Medicaid—beyond anti‑fraud measures—putting additional pressure on seniors’ coverage and costs. (washingtonpost.com)
- In the 118th Congress, Ogles introduced H.R. 812 “to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.” (congress.gov)
- In the 119th Congress (January 3, 2025), Ogles again introduced H.R. 191 “to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.” (congress.gov)
- The House GOP’s Republican Study Committee (RSC) FY2025 budget explicitly calls for the “full repeal” of the IRA’s drug price provisions. (hern.house.gov)
¶ Repealing the IRA would raise drug prices and costs for Medicare beneficiaries
- The IRA authorizes Medicare to negotiate prices for high-spending drugs; CBO estimated substantial Medicare savings and KFF finds the policy will put downward pressure on Part D premiums and out-of-pocket costs for beneficiaries. Repeal would eliminate these savings and increase costs relative to current law. (kff.org)
- CMS announced the first negotiated prices: if they had been in effect in 2023, Medicare would have saved an estimated $6 billion, and beneficiaries are projected to save $1.5 billion when prices take effect in 2026. Repeal would undo these savings. (cms.gov)
- The IRA caps Part D out-of-pocket spending at $2,000 starting in 2025; KFF and AARP document that this protects millions of beneficiaries from high drug costs. Repeal would remove this cap and raise costs versus current law. (kff.org)