Medicare and Social Security have long been considered “the third rail of politics.” Politicians who even suggest they might change these entitlement programs do so at their own peril. Everyone can still remember when the Democrats claimed Paul Ryan, the Republican Speaker of the House, was portrayed as “throwing Grandma off the cliff” in a widely seen ObamaCare political advertisement in 2012.

Even today, when Medicare and Social Security are badly in need of changes to remain fiscally viable for the future, both parties are reluctant to talk about any change. Yet President Biden is making changes he hopes no one will notice.

The editorial board of The Wall Street Journal, however, noticed. They say, “President Biden keeps accusing Republicans of trying to gut Medicare. No doubt he hopes seniors don’t notice that his Administration recently cut payments to Medicare Advantage plans, which will lead to higher patient costs and reduced benefits.”

They explain that about half of seniors are enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans, which are administered by private insurers with government funding. These plans have been increasing in popularity, especially among lower-income Americans, because they offer additional benefits such as dental and vision care. Out-of-pocket costs tend to be lower than in traditional fee-for-service Medicare.

Critics of Medicare Advantage say insurers sometimes put up bureaucratic hurdles to covering needed treatments and procedures, which is true. But they also prevent unnecessary care, which is rife in traditional Medicare. Insurers also do a better job of coordinating care and keeping patients out of the hospital. If seniors disliked the program, it wouldn’t be growing.

Enter the Biden Administration, which is trying to limit the program’s growth by squeezing insurers. Progressives oppose Medicare Advantage because they dislike private market competition and want the government to control all of healthcare. The Administration last year restricted plan marketing and cut payments to insurers on average by 1.1%.

Now the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is clipping insurer base payments by another 0.16%, which will take effect next year. The cut comes as insurers report increasing utilization among seniors owing to delayed pandemic care. Providers are also seeking higher reimbursements from insurers to offset rising overhead and labor costs.

Berkeley Research Group projects Medicare Advantage medical costs will climb by 4% to 6% next year. In response to last year’s payment cut, many plans increased patient co-pays and premiums, reduced benefits like vision and dental care, and tightened provider networks. More will have to do so next year.

Medicare Advantage plans send notices of annual plan changes in the autumn—a few weeks before the November election. Seniors may be in for a rude cost and benefit shock when they try to renew. If seniors like their doctor, they might not be able to keep her.

Perhaps election considerations explain why a bipartisan group of 61 Senators, including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, urged CMS in a January letter to “ensure payment and policy stability for the Medicare Advantage program,” adding that seniors must “have stable access to the extra benefits and out-of-pocket protections only available in Medicare Advantage.” But it seems the White House isn’t listening.

The WSJ editors ask, “Will Mr. Schumer now protest the Administration’s cut to drive more seniors out of private plans? By the way, CMS is also cutting physician payments in traditional Medicare to control its ballooning costs. The predictable result will be more provider consolidation, less healthcare competition, and a shift in costs to privately insured Americans.”

It’s time for politicians of both parties to come clean to the American people.