Recent cuts in government assistance have negatively impacted seniors and caregivers. AARP estimates one in every four American adults served as a family caregiver in 2025, and 77% say they’re at a breaking point. An annual survey issued by medical equipment supplier Aeroflow Urology earlier this year points to rising healthcare costs as a primary stressor, with federal program changes under the Trump administration adding to the problem.
The survey concluded:
- More than half of family caregivers in the U.S. have had to cut their work hours to help care for a loved one.
- Caregiving demands have forced another 11% of respondents to leave their jobs altogether. Those career gaps, in turn, can make it harder to obtain a similar or equivalent role when reentering the workforce.
- One in four caregivers forked out $6,000 or more a year on hygiene-related products like diapers, wipes, and bedpans alone.
- 90% of caregivers reported heightened or sustained feelings of anxiety or emotional distress; half said they felt isolated or unsupported.
- Nearly six in 10 said a loved one faced serious health complications as a result of not having enough care.
“As cuts to critical government programs loom in a country that increasingly looks away from caregivers and their loved ones, families are being abandoned,” writes Aeroflow spokesperson, Tiff Perritt, in a piece that analyzed the survey results and argued for more financial support and government assistance for caregivers. Caregivers are being squeezed by sweeping changes and cuts made by the Trump administration. The seniors they’re caring for have been hurt by cuts to Medicare, which provides health insurance for citizens over the age of 65. Many caregivers themselves are facing cuts to other programs: 77% of caregivers on Medicaid rely on other government assistance programs to make ends meet, including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Additional funding reductions at the state level and confusing new administrative processes make matters worse.
Board-certified pediatric nurse practitioner, Samantha Eaker, calls the trends alarming. The negative findings, she told Aeroflow, “should be viewed as a preventable downstream effect of coverage gaps.”
Impactful federal program changes in Medicare
Here, we look at a few of the biggest and most costly changes in Medicare that caregivers should be aware of moving forward.
Medicare Part A deductible
The inpatient deductible for the first 60 days of Medicare-covered hospital admissions jumped by $60 to $1,736 per benefit period in 2026. Since a benefit period begins when you’re admitted as an inpatient and ends after you’ve been out of inpatient hospital or skilled nursing facility care for 60 consecutive days, you could wind up paying multiple deductibles per year.
The co-insurance amount rose another $15 a day compared to 2025 for patients hospitalized for more than 60 days. Costs go up another $30 to $868 per 24-hour period starting at day 91.
Medicare Part B premiums
Premiums for Medicare Part B, which covers outpatient care, increased by nearly 10% for 2026. Kiplinger reports that the hike is the biggest in the past four years. Worse, it gobbles up more than a quarter of this year’s inflation adjustment (2.8%) for Social Security benefits. Annual deductibles, meanwhile, saw a $26 hike compared to 2025.
An income-related monthly surcharge could further add to those costs for higher earners. The financial toll could range from $81.20 to $487 a month.
Medicare Advantage plans
The Trump administration proposed keeping reimbursement rates flat for Medicare Advantage insurers in January. The announcement clashed with the 4% to 6% boost insurers expected.
Those cost pressures have led some private insurers to slash extra benefits like vision, dental and hearing coverage in their Medicare Advantage plans. Other perks, such as monthly allowances for over-the-counter purchases or transportation to and from medical services, have been eliminated entirely.
Medicare Part D prescription drug expenses
Out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs rose $100 to a total annual limit of $2,100 in 2026. Yearly deductibles for Part D Medicare can vary from plan to plan and by use. But if you have one, your maximum price tag just got a $25 upcharge. That means you’ll pay $615 in gross covered prescription costs per annum before coverage kicks in.
As with Part A, higher-income enrollees will now be billed a surcharge that ranges from $14.50 to $91 a month.
Additional hoops
A new pilot program mandates prior authorization for certain medical services in six states. Residents covered by original Medicare in Arizona, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, and Washington will now be subject to artificial intelligence-assisted prior review for 17 procedures. Treatments include nerve-stimulation techniques for Parkinson’s disease, pain-related steroid injections, and some services related to sleep apnea or incontinence.
Experts worry that companies overseeing the programs are incentivized to lower spending costs, which could lead to a conflict of interest, as consumer services being denied to enrollees in need.
Besides noting the federal program changes impacting Americans in need, Aeroflow suggests simplifying the path to paid caregiving and making it easier for caregivers to navigate the system to find necessary resources.
