Poll finds some support for minor Medicare cuts

Americans approve of minor cuts to help trim the federal deficit, but are much less likely to favor major cuts, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation tracking survey.

NPR: Support For Medicare Cuts Depends On Where Savings Would Go
Americans' views on how to to save some money in Medicare vary a lot, depending on where the proceeds go, according to results of a tracking poll just released by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Forty-five percent of Americans are fine with minor cuts in Medicare spending to help trim the federal deficit, for instance. Only 18 percent favor major cuts for deficit reduction, though (Hensley, 6/30).

The Hill: Poll Finds More Trust In IPAB Than Congress
More Americans trust an independent panel to govern Medicare spending than trust Congress with the program, according to a new poll. The findings come as Republicans are ratcheting up their attacks on the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), a panel of experts created by the health care reform law that will have the power to cut Medicare payments almost automatically. Republicans say the IPAB will ration care, leading seniors to an untimely death (Baker, 6/30).

Kaiser Health News: Public Willing To Accept Minor Medicare Cuts, Poll Finds
Most Americans are willing to accept some level of cuts in Medicare spending to keep the program financially sound or to ease the federal budget deficit, but they still balk at major reductions, according to a new survey released Thursday. The poll results show that public opinion on Medicare cuts remains malleable, subject to influence by different arguments and factual assertions (Rau, 6/30).