Senate Democrats on Thursday beat back a major threat to their health care legislation, defeating a proposal by Sen. John McCain to block more than $400 billion in cuts to future Medicare spending.
The Medicare savings are essential to Democrats' claims that their bill wouldn't add to the deficit over the next 10 years even though it expands federal spending on Medicaid, and would offer public subsidies for people to buy insurance.
But McCain, R-Arizona, argued that the proposed Medicare savings would "severely impact" seniors and shift money for their health care program to new entitlements.
Sen. Tom Coburn, an Oklahoma Republican, said the Senate health care bill would, over 10 years, cut anticipated Medicare payments to hospitals by $135 billion; to hospices by $8 billion; to nursing homes by $15 billion; to home health agencies by $42 billion; and to Medicare Advantage by $120 billion.
In a discussion on the Senate floor, Coburn and McCain also questioned the AARP's strong support for the Senate bill, suggesting the advocacy organization for seniors could reap new business selling supplemental Medicare policies if Medicare Advantage subsides were slashed. Medicare Advantage is private insurance ; it is subsidized by the federal Medicare program.
McCain's amendment failed by a vote of 42-58 after Democrats argued that the Medicare savings would actually strengthen the Medicare trust fund by slowing spending.
"Left unattended and uncared for, Medicare might go broke," said Sen. Richard Durbin, an Illinois Democrat who said the Senate health bill will put Medicare "on sound footing."
The vote on McCain's amendment was among the first cast since the Senate took up the massive health care bill Monday.
Earlier Thursday, the Senate passed an amendment 61-39 that would require all health plans to cover preventive care and screenings for women at no cost. Screenings include those for cervical cancer and breast cancer, for pregnancy and postpartum depression and for domestic violence.
Both Oklahoma senators voted against the amendment on women's screenings. They both voted for McCain's amendment on Medicare spending.
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