In fact, it was a Republican in the Senate today who blocked a simple "unanimous consent" request (separate from the reform bills) to hold next year's Medicare (Part B) cost to the current level.
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It's not reform related, but still very interesting. Republican Sen. Tom Coburn blocked a unanimous consent request Wednesday to approve a House bill that would prevent seniors from paying more for Medicare.
Because no lawmaker likes to jack with seniors' Medicare rates, the House bill passed 406-18.
CongressDaily's Peter Cohn has more:
Seniors are facing uncertainty over Medicare costs next year after Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., blocked a unanimous consent request Wednesday to approve a House-passed bill keeping Part B premiums constant at 2009 levels. The House bill, which passed 406-18 on Sept. 24, is needed to freeze monthly Part B insurance premiums, which pay for seniors' physician visits, at $96.40 next year. Those premiums are usually deducted from Social Security checks.
http://www.politico.com/livepulse/10...care_bill.html
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This is not an editorial like the WSJ piece, it is a fact that one Republican Senator blocked this bill.
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Originally Posted by TheMercenary
Facts are facts. Read it and weap... 
I didn't think you could defend it anyway.
This is your party's plan, least you could do it support and defend why it is a good idea to take benefits away from the elderly to take care of the rest of the nation. |
IMO, and I have not seen any facts to the contrary, the plan will take money out of the pockets of the insurance providers with tighter requirements in the bidding process (including holding patients harmless as much as possible), not the patients...and that is why the Republicans and the insurance industry have opposed it and vilify it and are scaring seniors.