In an Overwheming Defeat BushCo Medicare Veto Overidden After Republican Filibuster Broken

That's the sort of headline I wanted to see today.  Instead we got stories like this one from the pro-war WaPo.  You only need to read the mindless regurgitation of BushCo's  baseless position on the Medicare Advantage boondoggle, which suffered a small setback in this bill, to know that you should be looking elsewhere for information:

Bush said the cuts to insurers would harm the managed-care program, which his administration sees as giving seniors more choices and eventually leading to lower health costs for the federal government.

I see eating two cups a day of Edy's Grand Ice Cream as giving me all the calcium I'll ever need and eventually leading to lower body mass and toned abs.  See the problem?

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities released a good statement on the veto.  From it:

Under the bill, overall enrollment in Medicare Advantage (the program through which Medicare beneficiaries  can elect to receive coverage through private insurance companies instead of regular Medicare) would still climb by 25 percent over the next five years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Also, enrollment in private fee-for-service plans within Medicare Advantage would still be expected to  increase by 39 percent by 2013 — even though it costs the federal government 17 percent more to cover a   beneficiary under private fee-for-service plans than under       regular Medicare, on average, according to Congress's expert  Medicare Payment Advisory Commission.                  

The bill would, however, require private fee-for-service plans to establish adequate provider networks and collect data on the quality of health care they provide, as other Medicare Advantage plans already must do.  By making them compete on a more equal basis with other private plans, the bill would slow their explosive and thus costly                   enrollment growth.  This, in turn, would produce part of the savings that offset the bill’s overall cost, while improving access to care among beneficiaries enrolled in these              plans.                  

There's an easy way to produce $157B in savings over ten years: end Medicare Advantage overpayments completely.  But, you know, babysteps.   Plus BushCo had his butt handed to him.  So it was a good day.

 

Comments

[vwclown]

It was a good day. To celebrate, I think I'll go get some of that ice cream and enjoy my newly toned abs in the morning. Thanks

[eRobin]

Rock on! I have an entire BushCo Wellness Regimen based on advice that. In 8 years you'll either be dead or, well, you'll be dead. But I get to bill your estate in perpetuity. I see it as good deal. You will too!

[mick arran]

Yes it's a nice win but not exactly a surprise on any count. Doctors are still mainly a GOP constituency - a pretty big one - health ins corpo's are at about the level of used car salesmen in esteem, and it's an election year. The chances that a struggling and/or dying GOP would vacate a major support group for the sake of Bush's insurance friends was very low to begin with.

Still, in an age of minority rule when Dem conservatives continually vote with Pubs, I suppose any win is worth celebrating.

(Sorry to rain on the parade. I think I'm depressed about the size of Barrow's win. It's a very bad sign of what's coming.)

[eRobin]

Barrow's win was depressing and Obama's part in it very upsetting (but predictable) for sure. The thing about this Medicare thing is that any encroachment on its privatization is usually unthinkable. They sustained an initial filibuster of it despite all the pressure from the docs. I agree with Krugman, when he says that this is good for the overall fight to rein in the insurance industry. He goes even further than that but I'm more cautious in my optimism.

[mick arran]

I love it. Rob, you're the only cautiously fervent (or fervently cautious) optimist I've ever known. Or heard of. It's a charming combination, and politically devastating, but I'm afraid you're going to have a helluva time with BO.

However, I agree with both you and Krugman that this is a step forward (baby-step, as you say) and the Dems for once hung together and we can hope for more of the same. I'll be cheering if we get it but I've been disappointed for too many years to expect it or even waste energy hoping for it. If it happens, it will be people like you that bring it. You go, girl.