Thread: House Leaders Work to Alleviate 11th-Hour Medicare Concerns

House Leaders Work to Alleviate 11th-Hour Medicare Concerns

By Nicole Gaouette and James Rowley

March 19 (Bloomberg) -- House Democratic leaders worked to defuse an 11th-hour rebellion by more than a dozen lawmakers angry that hard-fought increases in Medicare reimbursements for local hospitals were removed from health-care legislation.

The lawmakers’ concern arose after House leaders released the latest version of legislation to overhaul the U.S. health- care system. House leaders are pushing for a March 21 vote on changes to Senate-passed legislation. Left unchanged is Senate language that these lawmakers say won’t go far enough to ease geographic disparities in Medicare reimbursements.

Such a provision was included in House-passed legislation to win votes of lawmakers who say hospitals in their districts would be paid less than other facilities for the same services.

“My state is getting screwed,â€

Medicare is bankrupt.
Baby Boomers will join the program by the millions over the next few years, adding to the fiscal difficulties.
The HC bill takes over $500 billion from the Medicare program.

Don't know about you folks, but if my pockets are empty, my pockets are empty. I can't get money out of them. Congress must have some kind of magic money machine if they think this bill will not demolish Medicare.