RHETORIC vs. REALITY:
In a fundraising appeal to supporters today, liberal U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) continued his efforts to score cheap political points by scaring Montana seniors on the critical issue of Medicare. Citing what he calls his “attempts to keep it strong for the future,” Tester boasts that “[y]ou don’t have to read between any lines to know where I stand: I support Medicare.”
But for someone who makes such a big fuss about his love of Medicare, Tester sure has a funny way of showing it…
After all, it was Jon Tester himself who ignored Montanans’ objections, and instead gave President Barack Obama the crucial 60th vote to pass ObamaCare. In addition to its onerous new mandates and $570 billion in tax hikes, the Obama-Tester health care overhaul cuts Medicare by $500 billion and uses that money to expand government control over other parts of the health care market.
To make matters worse, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reports that Tester and Obama’s costly, unpopular health care law also passed an estimated $60 billion in unpaid-for Medicaid liabilities to the states over the next ten years – costing taxpayers in the State of Montana an additional $175.2 million over just five years, according to a report by the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
“Despite his election-cycle claims, Jon Tester is the only Senate candidate in Montana who has voted to cut Medicare by $500 billion and slam Montana taxpayers with hundreds of millions of dollars in new Medicaid costs – which he did when he ignored Montanans’ voices and instead gave his Washington party bosses the crucial 60th vote for ObamaCare,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Chris Bond.
Background Information:
- SEN. DICK DURBIN (D-IL): “Some Of Our Critics On The Other Side Of The Aisle Have Said, ‘You Know, They’re [Democrats] Going To Cut Hundreds Of Billions Of Dollars Out Of Medicare.’ And The Simple Answer Is, Yes.” (Sen. Durbin, Floor Remarks, 3/4/10)
- WASHINGTON POST: The Health Care Bill Cut Medicare By Roughly “$500 Billion Over The Next Decade.” “To cover the cost of those changes, the compromise would impose a 3.8 percent Medicare tax on investment income for wealthy taxpayers, a levy that would come in addition to a Senate-proposed increase in the regular payroll tax for those families. And it would slice an additional $60 billion from Medicare, with the privately run program known as Medicare Advantage targeted for particularly deep cuts, bringing the total reduction in projected spending on the program to more than $500 billion over the next decade.” (Lori Montgomery and Paul Kane, “House Leaders Announce $940 Billion Health-Care Compromise Bill,” The Washington Post, 3/19/10)
THE NON-PARTISAN CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE (CBO) BREAKS DOWN THE OBAMA-TESTER MEDICARE CUTS:
- $200 BILLION IN CUTS TO MEDICARE ADVANTAGE
- “Medicare Advantage Payments… -131.9 [Billion Dollars].” “TITLE III—Improving The Quality And Efficiency Of Health Care; Subtitle C—Provisions Relating to Part C; Medicare Advantage Payments… 2010-2019… -131.9 [Billion Dollars].” (CBO Director Doug Elmendorf, Letter To Rep. Pelosi, 3/18/10, P. 13)
- “Medicare Advantage Interactions… -70.4 [Billion Dollars].” “Interactions; Medicare Advantage Interactions… 2010-2019… -70.4 [Billion Dollars].” (CBO Director Doug Elmendorf, Letter To Rep. Pelosi, 3/18/10, P. 18)
- $150 BILLION IN CUTS TO HOSPITALS, NURSING HOMES, AND HOSPICE
- “Ensuring Medicare Sustainability… -156.6 [Billion Dollars].” “TITLE III—Improving The Quality And Efficiency Of Health Care; Subtitle E—Ensuring Medicare Sustainability; 3401 Revision Of Certain Market Basket Updates And Incorporation Of Services Productivity Improvements Into Market Basket Updates That Do Not Already Incorporate Such Improvements (Effect Of Productivity Adjustment For Home Health Included In Estimate For Section 3131)… 2010-2019… -156.6 [Billion Dollars].” (CBO Director Doug Elmendorf, Letter To Rep. Nancy Pelosi, 3/18/10, P.14)
- $40 BILLION IN CUTS TO HOME HEALTH CARE
- “Home Health Care… -39.7 [Billion Dollars].” “TITLE III—Improving The Quality And Efficiency Of Health Care; Subtitle B—Improving Medicare For Patients And Providers; Part III – Improving Payment Accuracy; 3131 Payment Adjustments For Home Health Care (Includes Effect Of Section 3401)… 2010-2019… -39.7 [Billion Dollars].” (CBO Director Doug Elmendorf, Letter To Rep. Nancy Pelosi, 3/18/10, P.13)
- $20 BILLION IN REDUCED “PAYMENTS TO HOSPITALS THAT SERVE A LARGE NUMBER OF LOW-INCOME PATIENTS”
- “Medicare Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) Payments… -22.1 [Billion Dollars].” “TITLE III—Improving The Quality And Efficiency Of Health Care; Subtitle B—Improving Medicare For Patients And Providers; Part III—Improving Payment Accuracy; 3133 Medicare Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) Payments… 2010-2019… -22.1 [Billion Dollars].” (CBO Director Doug Elmendorf, Letter To Rep. Nancy Pelosi, 3/18/10, P.13)
- “Reducing Medicaid and Medicare payments to hospitals that serve a large number of low-income patients, known as disproportionate share (DSH) hospitals…” (CBO Director Doug Elmendorf, Letter To Sen. Harry Reid, 11/18/09, P. 10)
