WP: Dems Move to Revive Medicare Law (response to WP pg1 story)

[DeepModem Mom]

Democrats Move to Revive Medicare Law
By Jonathan Weisman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 25, 2006; Page A04


Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Rep. John D. Dingell (D-Mich.) will introduce legislation to restore Senate-passed language that would cut payments to private insurers in Medicare by $26 billion over the next decade, the lawmakers said yesterday.

As part of a broad budget-cutting bill, the Senate approved legislation that targeted private HMOs participating in Medicare by changing the formula that governs their reimbursement, lowering payments $26 billion over the next decade. But after lobbying by the health insurance industry, House and Senate Republican negotiators last month made a critical change that had the effect of eliminating all but $4 billion of the projected savings, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Language inserted into the budget compromise stipulated that a key part of the formula change could be applied only in 2008, 2009 and 2010. The result, CBO analysts say, was a $22 billion swing in the insurance industry's favor.

Clinton described the behind-the-scenes action, detailed yesterday in a Washington Post report, as "the latest example of Republicans taking care of their special interests at the expense of the American people."

The Senate approved the compromise budget plan last month, but one vote remains in the House early next month. If the plan is signed into law, Clinton and Dingell said they will introduce legislation to restore the original Senate language....


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/24/AR2006012401507.html?sub=AR


ON EDIT: Link to LBN post of yesterday's story, "WP,pg1: Closed-Door (Medicare) Deal Makes $22B Difference (for ins. cos.)" --

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2062250&mesg_id=2062250

[sarcasmo]

1. "Taking care of their special Interests at the expense of the American

People". Well said for any argument against a Repuke. I don't want Hillary as President but VP would be OK.

[still_one]

2. I don't want her as president or vp, but she is right on this one

unless she changes her mind tomorrow

[rodeodance]

3. grand to see this . go HIL.