Will John Yarmuth Stand Up For Louisville Jobs?

Will John Yarmuth Stand Up For Louisville Jobs?

As Feds Seek to Silence One of Louisville’s Largest Employers, Where Will He Stand?

Washington- As Senate Finance Committee Democrats begin their push for a healthcare takeover, the focus will be primarily on massive cuts to Medicare Advantage, which would severely affect large insurers such as Louisville’s Humana. And when Humana attempted to relay this information to its enrollees, they were issued a gag order by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus and the Obama administration. With John Yarmuth’s stalwart support for the Democrats’ takeover of healthcare, will he too support this censorship of free speech against one of his district’s largest employers, or will he stand up for the 7,000 jobs that Humana represents?

“Humana, one of the nation’s largest insurers, has urged subscribers to contact their members of Congress and register their opposition to the cuts. ‘Millions of seniors and disabled individuals could lose many of the important benefits and services that make Medicare Advantage health plans so valuable,’ Humana said in a recent letter to beneficiaries.

“On Monday, the Obama administration told Humana to ‘end immediately all such mailings to beneficiaries.’ It said the materials were ‘misleading and confusing.’ Insurers have contracts with Medicare, and under Medicare rules, many of their communications with beneficiaries need to be submitted to the government for review, administration officials said.” (Robert Pear, “Senator Tries to Allay Fears on Health Overhaul,” The New York Times, 9/23/2009)

“Democrats’ desperate attempt to censor dissenting opinions is a sure sign that their attempts at a government healthcare takeover are falling flat with the American people,” said NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain. “As staggering statistics and non-partisan groups continue to come out with data against John Yarmuth’s reckless healthcare agenda, he continues to miss the point that Democrats stand alone in their healthcare pursuits. The American people aren’t with them, the statistics aren’t on their side, and Louisville families do not want to one of the area’s largest employers sacrificed for the sake of political theater.”

Douglas Elmendorf, head of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, recently admitted that 92,212 Kentucky seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage could see fewer benefits under the Democrats’ healthcare overhaul:

“Congress’ chief budget officer on Tuesday contradicted President Barack Obama’s oft-stated claim that seniors wouldn’t see their Medicare benefits cut under a health care overhaul.

“The head of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, Douglas Elmendorf, told senators that seniors in Medicare’s managed care plans could see reduced benefits under a bill in the Finance Committee.

”The bill would cut payments to the Medicare Advantage plans by more than $100 billion over 10 years.” (Erica Werner, “Budget Chief Contradicts Obama on Medicare Costs,” Associated Press, September 23, 2009)

With one of Louisville’s largest employers facing political pressure from Washington Democrats while staggering numbers refute Democrats’ claims that healthcare overhaul won’t affect Medicare, does John Yarmuth have the guts to stand up for what is right for his district, or will he continue to support legislation that could prove devastating to Kentucky working families and seniors?

(Medicare Advantage numbers based on current Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services data)

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