Senate Democrats have apparently bowed to the demands of Senators Joe Lieberman and Ben Nelson, and given up the idea of expanding Medicare.  The proposal introduced just last week would have expanded Medicare to people age 55 to 64, but the two men objected.  The proposal appears to have been abandoned just last night over fears that not winning their support for the legislation would leave it with fewer than the 60 votes needed to bypass a Republican filibuster.

Shortly after the Medicare buy-in was proposed, Nelson voiced his concerns that it would lead to a single-payer healthcare system.  Lieberman objected, saying that the idea was fiscally unsound.  While he had supported similar ideas in the past, this time around was different, because the health care bill contained “duplicate” supports for seniors.  A spokesperson for Lieberman, Erika Masonhall, said that the bill already included “extensive affordability credits that would benefit this specific group of individuals.  …Any inclusion of a Medicare buy-in for that same age group would be duplicative of what is already in the bill, would put the government on the hook for billions of additional dollars, and would potentially threaten the solvency of Medicare, which is already in a perilous state.”

Lieberman himself had this to say about the proposal being dropped: “I don’t feel like a spoiler.  I feel like somebody who has wanted to be for health care reform.  We have within reach — the core parts of this bill are a historic accomplishment.  I mean, think about it, 30 million people who can’t afford health insurance in our country today are going to get it under this bill.  The cost curve is going to be bent down.”

Other Senators appeared to be positive, taking the view that the bill sans Medicare expansion was better than nothing.  Senator John D. Rockefeller said, “We’re not going to get all that we want, but we’re going to get so much more than we have.”

Sources & More Information:

Wall Street Journal – Democrats Drop Plan to Expand Medicare

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126083637029991305.html?mod=WSJ_hp_mostpop_read

Wall Street Journal – The Choice Facing Democrats

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126081598065990829.html?mod=article-outset-box

Connecticut Post – Lieberman recants support for Medicare expansion

http://www.connpost.com/ci_13996897?source=most_emailed

NY Times – Lieberman: The Fallout

http://prescriptions.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/15/lieberman-the-fallout/

Washington Post – Senate health bill unlikely to include Medicare buy-in

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/14/AR2009121401580_pf.html

Filed under: health care reform, News by admin