Budget Committee Dems to Seniors: Hand Over Your Medicare

Tim Bishop to Seniors: Hand Over Your Medicare

Bishop Votes Against Measure Opposing Medicare Cuts in Democrats’ Healthcare Takeover

Washington- Democrats are moving full steam ahead with their last-minute scramble to pass their unpopular healthcare takeover and Tim Bishop is doing his part to rubber-stamp his party’s agenda and force their bill onto the American people. Today, in a meeting of the House Budget Committee, Bishop voted against a provision that would have called against cutting Medicare in order to fund the Democrats’ healthcare bill (see vote here).

As Democrats ram through their healthcare agenda, seniors could have used Bishop’s help:

“Seniors have been understandably worried about the health care plan, since much of it is financed with Medicare cuts the government’s own experts say could be unsustainable. On the block are subsidies to private Medicare Advantage insurance plans, which now enroll about one-quarter of seniors….[The] bill could trigger an exodus from Medicare Advantage as insurers are forced to raise their rates to stay in business.” (Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, “Health Care 101: A Consumer Primer on Obama’s Bill,” Associated Press, 3/15/10)

The Democrats’ healthcare bill cuts nearly $500 billion from Medicare:

“Unflinching on a critical first test, Senate Democrats closed ranks Thursday behind $460 billion in politically risky Medicare cuts at the heart of health care legislation…” (“Medicare Cuts Stay in Senate’s Health Bill,” Associated Press, 12/3/09)

According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the results of these cuts could be devastating – especially for the 800,000 New York seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage.:

“CBO estimates that enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans in 2019 would be 2.6 million lower than under current law, with most of those reductions (2.0 million) occurring in areas where bids currently are below FFS costs.” (CBO Analysis, 11/21/09)

“Instead of standing up for seniors, Tim Bishop just gave his seal of approval to a bill that will cut hundreds of billions of dollars from seniors’ healthcare coverage,” said NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain. “Democrats like Bishop don’t seem to care what it takes to ram their healthcare takeover through Congress – they just want it done, and they want it done now. With so much on the line, Bishop should be spending more time looking out for the seniors that this bill will impact and less time serving as a loyal yes-man to his Democrat bosses.”

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