Democratic Senators Attack Health Care Compromise on Medicare

[AlphaCentauri]

Source: Bloomberg

A Democratic compromise over health- care legislation came under attack yesterday from within the party as 10 senators voiced concern the plan would make it harder for the elderly to get medical care.

The Democratic senators were responding to a proposal to expand the Medicare program, which serves Americans age 65 and over, to cover people as young as 55. The 10 lawmakers demanded changes in Medicare reimbursement rates, complaining that Medicare currently underpays states with more efficient medical care, leaving fewer physicians willing to treat patients in the program.

The letter provided more fodder for Republicans who argue that the legislation doesn’t meet a central goal President Barack Obama has set for slowing the increase in health costs and expanding access to medical care.

The Democrats’ letter came a day after a report by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that found the Senate bill would increase total spending on health care and may contain “unrealistic” promises to save money on Medicare.


Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aUmEllkyXD_c&pos=9

[elleng]

1. “We appreciate the rationale

underlying the proposed Medicare expansion,” the lawmakers wrote in the Dec. 11 letter, “but fear that provider shortages in states with low reimbursement rates such as ours will make such a program ineffective, or even worsen the problems these states are experiencing.”

Signers of Letter

The letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was signed by Senators Maria Cantwell of Washington, Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, Tim Johnson of South Dakota, Patrick Leahy of Vermont, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Tom Udall of New Mexico, Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden of Oregon, and Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken of Minnesota.

The current system pays providers for the number of services they provide, creating a situation in which Medicare pays more efficient states less for the same result, and “spends over one-third more for each beneficiary in some states compared to ours,” the Democratic senators wrote.

“An expansion of the program would simply see the same issue expanded to Americans between the ages of 55-64,” they said. They urged Reid to make changes in the bill to reward providers for the quality, not quantity, of their care.

[patrice]

2. Yyyyyeeeeeeehhhhhhhhaaaaaa!! Let's get it on, Dems!!

Mandated coverage will make it possible for HCInsCo to offload all of the poorer, sicker, older types into this expanded Medicare and keep the healthy, cheaper ones to milk for more bonuses, without having to do anything about the cost of insurance.

[CraigNelson]

3. If Democrats dont pass something

The party will seize to exist after the 2010 elections. Republicans will storm in with large majorities and likely impeach Obama.

[No Elephants]

5. So, it's okay for Democrats to act like Republicans, as long as they keep the (D) after their names?

[AusDem]

7. "cease" to exist

and other posters are right. while an imperfect bill may be acceptable, a totally crap / going backwards one is ridiculous.

[cilla4progress]

18. I completely agree

It seems they have set an arbitrary date of get "it" ("it" being anything they can slap a label on ) done by the end of the year. I'd rather it take longer to get something that actually reforms health care.

Furthermore, can't someone in the Dem party come up with a better way to spin this instead of it always looking like incompetence on our side? I.e., Republican obstinacy? I know it's out there, but not as sharply clear as it could / should be. Sheesh.

[pattmarty]

13. Better quit taking whatever drugs you're taking, as from your post.....................

....................I can see your breaking with reality. At this point the Dems have prolonged and made such a mess out of healthcare "reform" that they will lose seats either way. Better no bill at all now than a really lousy (as it is looking more as each day passes) bill that they will be blamed for for years and years. AND, they won't impeach Obama.

[CraigNelson]

21. They will impeach him

They hate him and will do anything possible to bring him down. They hate him more than they did Clinton.

[lib_wit_it]

22. You forgot the T, Craig.

[Goldstein1984]

4. Better to pass nothing than to pass a law that

makes people worse off than they are now.

If the American people are stupid enough to support Republicans, then maybe they deserve the government they get.

I'm hoping--really hoping--that the average American isn't as brain dead as the mainstream media portray them.

America! If you can still read this! There is something in the water!!!!

[CraigNelson]

8. The average voter is an idiot

They are ready to just hand Republicans back Congress after what they did to the economy. They will deserve what they get.

[Bluenorthwest]

14. Ok, a person who thinks the word 'cease' is the word 'sieze'

has zero standing to be calling others idiots. No standing even to call idiots idiots.

[No Elephants]

6. This probably has a lot more to do with why medical costs have been rising than do

medical malpractice lawsuits. "The current system pays providers for the number of services they provide...."

Most folks would say, "If someone is going to pay me by quantity, rather than by quality or results achieved, quantity is what I'll produce."

[pattmarty]

17. I would argue that the "quantity" costs are the smaller part...................

.................of the cost puzzle. You first and foremost have the outrageous insurance company profits over especially the past 10 yrs and the increasing privatization of hospitals in this country and the increasing specialization of doctors (specialists). It's the "whole package" that's been allowed to run madly wild (virtually without any regulation) that's caused the crazy escalation in costs.

[CraigNelson]

9. If this bill dies, so does universal healthcare for the rest of our lives

Democrats will so frightened to even touch healthcare reform again after the beating they have taken on this TWICE in a row.

[BR_Parkway]

10. I don't think they can consider themselves as "taking a beating" - they are the one

holding the club this time and shooting themselves in the foot, they can try to blame it all on Republicans if they want to but most of us here are paying attention enough to know better

[CraigNelson]

11. They cant blame it on Republicans

The legislation is simply too complex and controversial for Democrats to get through. They are never going to be able to pass any kind of reform. Never in a million years.

[Bluenorthwest]

15. Hysteria and hyperbole, man you are all over the board

Hope your heart does not 'cease up' on you! Careful now!

[cilla4progress]

19. The BILL doesn't need to die...

just this draft of it. They keep working on IT - and nothing else! - until they get it right. They sit out, or in, I mean: they need to treat this as "seriously" as they did the Iraq war vote (which admittedly they got wrong). But my point is, it's a vote of conscience, life or death. Those Blue Dogs OUGHT to stake their careers and re-election on it. Gawd. They must KNOW Public Option / Single Payer is the only conscionable way to go (there must be SOME reason they are Dems..); but they are too worried about their own asses in the next election.

[Vinca]

12. Bloody idiots. The best thing that can happen to Medicare -

in fact, maybe the only thing that will save it - is an influx of new blood and more money. I'm convinced the biggest problem this country has is electing selfish rich people to public office.

[bdamomma]

24. .................

rich people who have coverage too.

[jwirr]

16. I am not so worried about this - these Senators are merely addressing

the issue of reimbursing differences for providers. This needs to be addressed if we are going to go the Medicaid/Medicare way. We have known that forever.

[defendandprotect]

20. When you put someone like Baucus in charge of the "reform" what good

could possibly come of it -- ???

[classysassy]

23. Cuba vs America

when it comes to health care the cubans receive better health care than our citizens,why?,we curse the socialist system of governance,while claiming that our health care is the best in the world,and thats true in some cases,if you are rich or a member of congressyou receive the very best care on the planet,but the poor thats another story.Our elected officials should be ashamed of themselves,theycan't relate to the poor so they lie to get our vote and after they are in office they seem to forget who voted them in,those crooks go for the gusto(money).