Guaranteed Healthcare

Last week’s action by Congress to override President Bush’s veto of the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (HR 6331) was a landmark step toward reversing the tide of privatization of Medicare over the last three decades. The votes in Congress were a resounding defeat for conservative policies and the lobbying efforts of the insurance industry. There was no ambiguity in the override votes — 383 to 41 in the House and 70 to 26 in the Senate, with 153 Republicans in the House and 21 Republicans in the Senate defying the president. The courageous leadership of Senator Edward Kennedy, long a champion of better access to health care, helped to head off a disastrous veto of this legislation despite his current medical problems.

Conservatives in government, free market stakeholders, and their
lobbyists won a big one last week. Even after the House gave
overwhelming bipartisan support to the Medicare Improvements for
Patients and Providers Act (HR. 6331) by a vote of 355-59 (including
129 Republican votes), the Senate fell two votes short of the 60 votes
needed to overcome a presidential veto. Presidential candidate Obama
voted in favor of the bill; McCain was a no-show. The bill would have
cancelled a physician pay cut of 10.6 percent, reduced overpayments to
private Medicare plans, improved coverage of mental health and
preventive services under Medicare, and added consumer protections for
enrollees in private plans. President Bush planned to veto the
legislation because of payment reductions to private plans and the
improved benefits, claiming that they would “reduce access, benefits
and choices for many of the 2.25 million enrollees in Private Fee for
Service (PFFS) plans. Robert Hayes, President of the Medicare Rights
Center, called this “a craven submission to the insurance industry”.