Senate rejects proposal by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)

[spanone]

Senate votes to keep Medicare cuts
By Lori Montgomery
The Senate voted Thursday to keep nearly $500 billion in Medicare cuts in its overhaul of the health care system, protecting the bill's major source of financing against a Republican attack.

On a vote of 58 to 42, the Senate rejected a proposal by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) to send the bill back to committee with orders to strip out the cuts, a move that would effectively have killed the measure. Two Democrats -- Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Jim Webb of Virginia -- voted with all 40 Republicans on the amendment.

The vote was among the first cast on proposed changes to the package, which would spend $848 billion over the next decade to extend coverage to more than 30 million additional people and implement the most dramatic revisions to the nation's health-care system in more than 40 years. Though debate officially opened on Monday, legislative progress has been hampered by disagreements between the two parties over the terms of debate and the timing of votes. But Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) still hopes to hold a vote on final passage before the Senate adjourns for the Christmas holidays, and on Thursday he told senators to plan on working throughout the coming weekend.

Democrats, backed by an array of major senior organizations, including the AARP, argued that the cuts would extend the financial life of Medicare by several years. The cuts would not reduce guaranteed benefits or increase co-payments, they said. And because hospitals and other providers have agreed to absorb the cuts by working more efficiently, Democrats said they would not affect access to medical services.


http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitol-briefing/2009/12/senate_votes_to_keep_medicare.html?hpid=topnews

[yurbud]

1. why do there have to be Medicare cuts to pay for it?

[Wapsie B]

2. Exactly. If anything there should be more funding for Medicare.

[annabanana]

3. jeez. . its the medicare ADVANTAGE thingie that's on the block..

Remember.. That program was 100% handout to the insurance companies.

[DesertFlower]

5. exactly. nt

[spanone]

6. yep, steered medicare patients to private insurance companies paid for with medicare monies

it's all in how you frame it.....

the rogue senator is shilling for the insurance company status quo

[yurbud]

7. oh, good.

[DesertFlower]

4. i think the cuts are to medicare advantage plans.