 merrie says: The wrap-up amendment expands powers granted to a brand new Medicare Commission endowing these bureaucrats with the ability to raise premiums on Medicare prescription drug coverage at will. Democrats had worked out a deal with hospitals in secret negotiations over the summer to exempt them from the extensive plans for cuts in Medicare rates. This “carve out” would exempt hospitals from these reductions but the CBO estimated the provision would add $11 billion to the overall cost of the bill. No problem for Dems, just rack up another $11 billion in stealth cuts to Medicare for an offset. Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) offered an amendment that was agreed to in the committee markup without objection to shield veterans from increases in the cost of their medical care and reductions in access to treatment. In the wrap-up amendment, Democrats voted to gut the veteran protections, without the customary consultation to the amendment’s author, reducing the amendment to mere . . . . . instructions to the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs to conduct a study of the cost of veteran health care specifically including the cost of their medical devices and brand name medications. More cost cutting measures at our veterans’ expense. Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) sponsored an amendment to safeguard the work force from reductions in wages as a result of the bill’s staggering increase in taxes, fees and assessments on employers. The committee voted unanimously to adopt Enzi’s amendment protecting employees and, again, the wrap-up amendment transformed the wording into a requirement for the Secretary of Labor to perform an inconsequential study on the issue. It matte... |
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