Rockefeller slams Conrad for criticizing Medicare buy-in

[DearAbby]

Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) is one of the first senators to publicly criticize a Medicare buy-in proposal offered by Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), telling reporters today that he opposes plans that use Medicare levels of reimbursement, which he's long said would harm hospitals in North Dakota.

Conrad says he needs answers: "If you expand medicare, what kind of a risk pool is that going to be? How is that going to affect the Medicare risk pool? What's that going to do to rates, what's that going to do to medicare solvency?" he asked rhetorically. "We don't have answers to those questions."

Rockefeller didn't take too kindly to this.

"I'm really very tired of hearing about that from him," an exasperated Rockefeller told reporters. "And it's always about North Dakota, and it's never about any other part of the country. And I thought, you know, that's what we're trying to do--we're trying to do the best thing for the country as a whole."


More at link
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/12/rockefeller-whacks-conrad-for-criticizing-medicare-buy-in-im-tired-of-hearing-about-that-from-him.php

[Mass]

1. Note to Conrad : open Medicare to all the risk will be lower.

[valerief]

2. Give him a shiner for us, Jay! nt

[DJ13]

3. Well, lets see how it effects the risk pool

Medicare currently is comprised exclusively of the elderly and the disabled.

Both groups utilize resources at a far higher rate than the average insurance pool.

Now what happens if you introduce a large number of younger, healthier people into the risk pool?

Hm, Conrad cant figure it out?