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Senate vote strengthens Medicare
On July 9, the U.S. Senate voted to rescind cuts in
Medicare reimbursements to physicians, scale
back subsidies to private Medicare Advantage
providers, and expand health care coverage
for low-income seniors.
Defying a White House veto threat, the Senate reversed a
June 26 vote on the same issue. Senator
Arlen Specter (R-PA) changed his vote, paving the way
for other Senators to do the same.
Earlier this week the
Pittsburgh
Tribune-Review published a
letter from Alliance Regional Board Member
Carl Paulett, chastising
Specter for standing with big insurance
companies rather than Keystone State
seniors.
Many Republicans opposed the bill because it would take
away subsidies from Medicare Advantage
private insurance plans. The vote on H.R.
6631 was 69-30, with Senator
John
McCain the lone absentee.
The roll call marked the return of Senator
Edward M.
Kennedy (D-MA), who is
undergoing cancer treatments.
“It is fitting that the first vote Senator Kennedy cast
upon his return was in favor of a bill to
strengthen Medicare,” said Alliance
President
George J.
Kourpias.
“Thanks to Senator Kennedy and his colleagues, physicians
will continue to treat Medicare patients,
low-income seniors will receive extra
assistance with their health care costs, and
Medicare Advantage programs will be reformed
so that more money goes to seniors and not
large corporations.”
The bill has already been approved by the U.S. House of
Representatives.
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