[Vision2020] Fw: CRAPO WARNS OF COSTS TO SENIORS, STATES

Sat Sep 26 13:42:27 PDT 2009

Does it occur to you that great majority of Senator Crapo's constituents do not want government to be involved with health care, universal or otherwise, any more then they already are? Also that a great many of us believe that governmental involvement is too great as is and would be far happier to see the feds cut out of the whole health industry equation altogether. When Mr. Crapo "complains" he complains for us, those who elected him.

g
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Wayne Price 
  To: lfalen 
  Cc: vision2020 at moscow.com 
  Sent: Saturday, September 26, 2009 12:02 PM
  Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Fw: CRAPO WARNS OF COSTS TO SENIORS, STATES

  Roger,

  Mike Crapo has been in Congress since January 1993, and now he comes up with, "Rushing the bill through will also be disastrous for states, Crapo said. "
  What has he done on a universal health care bill for the last 16 years? He sat on his hands for 16 years, never came up with one of his own,
  and now wants to complain. He is just too little, too late.

  Wayne

  On Sep 26, 2009, at 11:47 AM, lfalen wrote:

    -----Original message-----

    From: "Crapo News Release (Crapo)" newsclips at crapo.senate.gov
    Date: Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:17:54 -0700
    To: 
    Subject: CRAPO WARNS OF COSTS TO SENIORS, STATES

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                      CONTACT:    Susan Wheeler (202) 224-5150

    September 24, 2009                                                                                                            Lindsay Nothern (208) 344-1108

    CRAPO WARNS OF COSTS TO SENIORS, STATES

    60,000 Idaho seniors could lose benefits of Medicare Advantage program

    Washington, DC - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo said today that senior citizens and state taxpayers will feel the pain if health care reforms envisioned in the Senate Finance Committee are approved by Congress.  Crapo, a member of the Finance Committee, charges the legislation could hurt senior citizens who enjoy coverage under the popular Medicare Advantage program because that program may be cut by $113 billion under the present proposal.

    Crapo offered an amendment to the bill today that would have stopped the reductions in Medicare Advantage if those changes result in less competition and choice in the insurance marketplace.  He noted that Medicare Advantage saw a whopping 426% increase in enrollment between 2003 and 2007 because the program is popular, especially in rural areas where patients have limited access to and choices for health care.  "My amendment seeks to preserve that choice," Crapo said, but the amendment was voted down over technical objections.

    "President Obama said 'if you like your present insurance, you can keep it,' but that won't be the case for seniors who are enrolled in Medicare Advantage," Crapo added, noting that enrollees in that program will lose half their current Medicare Advantage benefits if the present bill before the committee passes without further amendment.  "There are 60,000 people in Idaho enrolled in Medicare Advantage-that's 27 percent of the Medicare population in Idaho.  Those affected by these cuts are 20 percent of the Medicare population nationwide," he added.  "That is not an insignificant proportion of our seniors who will either see a loss in benefits or have to switch to another program.  That is not keeping your present insurance as the President proposed."

    The director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Douglas Elmendorf, has acknowledged that seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage will lose benefits under the plan.  Because the legislation has not been detailed, the CBO can't offer a fair cost analysis.

    Rushing the bill through will also be disastrous for states, Crapo said.  Cuts to the Medicare program by $500 billion will result in higher costs for the states partnering in the program-costs that will be passed along to state taxpayers.  Crapo said the overall health care bill could total $1.7 trillion over the full ten years of implementing the program.

    "Then there are the costs to those who are happy with their existing insurance," Crapo noted.  "The taxes called for in this bill will be passed along-in the form of higher premiums, higher costs for medical devices and potentially layoffs from employers dealing with higher taxes.

    "The markup in Committee has shown that people will not be able to keep the health care they now have.  One of the most popular programs for seniors, particularly in rural areas, will be negatively impacted under this bill," he added.

    To directly link to this news release, please use the following address:

    http://crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=318260

    # # #

    ......................................................................

    This is generated from an unattended mailbox. If you have constituent comments or information you would like forwarded to Senator Crapo, please do so at the Senator's website, http://crapo.senate.gov<http://crapo.senate.gov/>. Comments sent to this e-mail address will not be responded to.

    From: "Crapo News Release (Crapo)" <newsclips at crapo.senate.gov>

    Date: September 24, 2009 2:17:54 PM PDT

    Subject: CRAPO WARNS OF COSTS TO SENIORS, STATES

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                      CONTACT:    Susan Wheeler (202) 224-5150
    September 24, 2009                                                                                                            Lindsay Nothern (208) 344-1108

    CRAPO WARNS OF COSTS TO SENIORS, STATES
    60,000 Idaho seniors could lose benefits of Medicare Advantage program

    Washington, DC – Idaho Senator Mike Crapo said today that senior citizens and state taxpayers will feel the pain if health care reforms envisioned in the Senate Finance Committee are approved by Congress.  Crapo, a member of the Finance Committee, charges the legislation could hurt senior citizens who enjoy coverage under the popular Medicare Advantage program because that program may be cut by $113 billion under the present proposal. 

    Crapo offered an amendment to the bill today that would have stopped the reductions in Medicare Advantage if those changes result in less competition and choice in the insurance marketplace.  He noted that Medicare Advantage saw a whopping 426% increase in enrollment between 2003 and 2007 because the program is popular, especially in rural areas where patients have limited access to and choices for health care.  “My amendment seeks to preserve that choice,” Crapo said, but the amendment was voted down over technical objections.

    “President Obama said ‘if you like your present insurance, you can keep it,’ but that won’t be the case for seniors who are enrolled in Medicare Advantage,” Crapo added, noting that enrollees in that program will lose half their current Medicare Advantage benefits if the present bill before the committee passes without further amendment.  “There are 60,000 people in Idaho enrolled in Medicare Advantage—that’s 27 percent of the Medicare population in Idaho.  Those affected by these cuts are 20 percent of the Medicare population nationwide,” he added.  “That is not an insignificant proportion of our seniors who will either see a loss in benefits or have to switch to another program.  That is not keeping your present insurance as the President proposed.”

    The director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Douglas Elmendorf, has acknowledged that seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage will lose benefits under the plan.  Because the legislation has not been detailed, the CBO can’t offer a fair cost analysis.

    Rushing the bill through will also be disastrous for states, Crapo said.  Cuts to the Medicare program by $500 billion will result in higher costs for the states partnering in the program—costs that will be passed along to state taxpayers.  Crapo said the overall health care bill could total $1.7 trillion over the full ten years of implementing the program.

    “Then there are the costs to those who are happy with their existing insurance,” Crapo noted.  “The taxes called for in this bill will be passed along—in the form of higher premiums, higher costs for medical devices and potentially layoffs from employers dealing with higher taxes. 

    “The markup in Committee has shown that people will not be able to keep the health care they now have.  One of the most popular programs for seniors, particularly in rural areas, will be negatively impacted under this bill,” he added. 

    To directly link to this news release, please use the following address:
    http://crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=318260

    # # #
    ......................................................................
    This is generated from an unattended mailbox. If you have constituent comments or information you would like forwarded to Senator Crapo, please do so at the Senator's website,http://crapo.senate.gov. Comments sent to this e-mail address will not be responded to.

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