Embattled Incumbent Plays Politics At Expense Of Montanans Who Count On Medicare
In yet another act of transparent political posturing, the Associated Press reports today that U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) joined four other Democrat Senators – all of whom are coincidentally up for re-election next year – in sending a letter to Vice-President Joe Biden that calls on Biden to reaffirm his commitment to leaving Medicare “unchanged” during budget and deficit negotiations.
Ironically, when asked on MSNBC’s Morning Joe in April about U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) budget proposal, which reforms Medicare, Tester called it a “good place to start.”
Meanwhile, Tester’s campaign manager today drew further attention to the wide gap between Tester’s campaign rhetoric and his record of cutting Medicare, writing in an email seeking campaign contributions that “[w]hen Jon talks to us about Medicare in Helena or Billings, you know that he’s always going to fight to preserve it.” In reality – Tester is the only candidate for U.S. Senate in Montana who voted to cut Medicare by $500 billion in order to fund ObamaCare.
“Given his strident campaign rhetoric on the issue, it’s a shame that Senator Tester didn’t show this same enthusiasm for Medicare sixteen months ago, when he helped President Obama cut it by $500 billion,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Chris Bond. “The fact remains that Jon Tester is the only candidate for Senate in Montana who voted to cut Medicare by half-a-trillion dollars.”
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)
