Photo: AP Senator Bill Nelson ( D-FL)
On Monday, Senator McCain sent out the following from Twitter: "Florida Flim Flam: A deal to grandfather Medicare Advantage enrollees in Florida – apprx $5 Billion. The Price Was Right!"
During the closed door negotiations with Harry Reid, the legislative language was added to protect those beneficiaries in Florida that currently have Medicare Advantage plans. This will remain in the bill no matter what bill is finally passed.
Each day, as more information comes out on the sweet heart deals made to get the Democrats vote on Harry Rieds bill, this is the latest. Senator Bill Nelson D-Fl got 3 counties in Florida exempt in order to preserve their Medicare Advantage plan benefits. Those counties are Brevard, Miami Dade and Palm Beach, the three biggest Democrat counties in the state.
Senator John McCain says it's unfair. He said giving Medicare Advantage members in Florida (an exemption) but his constituents in Medicare Advantage won't receive the same benefits and could loose the existing Advantage plan they already have. He estimated Florida costs at $5 billion, but according to other sources, it could go as high as $25 to $30 billion over the next 10 years.
And now for the rest of the story ...
From Obama to Harry Reid, and just about every Democrat in between, we have been repeatedly told that no one will loose any of their Medicare benefits they currently have. That the waste and fraud will be cut from Medicare and your benefits will not be cut. If in fact this is the case, why did Senator Nelson find it necessary to cut a deal to protect the selected group of people in his state to guarantee they will continue to receive the same benefits from Medicare Advantage for the next 10 years?
If this bill won't cut Medicare why should any state need a special exemption? Why would the Democrats not pass John McCain’s amendment to protect Medicare Advantage in all states?
For more info: Bill Nelson sells health care reform vote for a splash of Gator Aid - Health Care Shocker: Special Democratic Voting Counties Would Get Protected Medicare Benefits
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Comments
The deal making makes me sick! If you took out the deals, maybe it would not cost $1B. I don't care what each Senator got in the way of a bribe, it makes me sick to think that educated people would create such a monster and destroy our healthcare system. The government owns the banks, GM and Chrysler and now healthcare, a program that is bigger than the entire budget of France. Wake up America. I might already be to late
Bill Nelson saved NOTHING!
This Health Care bill is cutting $500 Billion dollars from the Medicare Budget, that's $50 Billion Dollars a year stripped away.
All this provision will do is direct these cuts away from the Advantage program, but there will still be $50 Billion Dollars in cuts made, they will just be deeper in other programs now.
So who really saves when they leave something in one pocket and just take more from the other one?
Sen. Bill Nelson is no friend to seniors, he has made this weak card-shuffle and thinks people are complete fools. Just as Floridians opposed the $787 Billion Stimulus bill that Nelson voted for they had also opposed this Health care bill. Sen. Bill Nelson will find it impossible to be reelected once the complete details of this Health Care bill are made public.
Let Sen. Bill Nelson's office know how you feel.
bill_nelson@billnelson.senate. gov
dan_mclaughlin@billnelson.sena te.gov
christopher_day@billnelson.sen ate.gov
mar
Senator Nelson
Thanks for caving in to the left wing Liberals. Maybe the responsible voters of Florida will vote you out in the next election. How much under the table money did you receive?
It's "lose" not "loose" ("no one will loose any of their Medicare benefits").
As usual, the so-called Republican conservatives are only interested in lining the pockets of those companies who keep them in office. You can be sure that the only motive a Republican has in the Health Care legislation is what's best for the insurance companies and big pharma, not what's best for Americans; regardless of their age. Seniors are a trusting generation and are particularly vulnerable to manipulation by slick Republican schemers.
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