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From: "Crapo News Release (Crapo)" <newsclips@crapo.senate.gov>
Date: Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:17:54 -0400
Subject: CRAPO WARNS OF COSTS TO SENIORS, STATES
Thread-Topic: CRAPO WARNS OF COSTS TO SENIORS, STATES
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                      =
                CONTACT:    Susan Wheeler (202) 224-5150

September 24, 2009                                                         =
                                                   Lindsay Nothern (208) 34=
4-1108









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 a=
nd 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 w=
ho 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 re=
ductions 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 th=
e program is popular, especially in rural areas where patients have limited=
 access to and choices for health care.  "My amendment seeks to preserve th=
at choice," Crapo said, but the amendment was voted down over technical obj=
ections.



"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 Advan=
tage," Crapo added, noting that enrollees in that program will lose half th=
eir current Medicare Advantage benefits if the present bill before the comm=
ittee 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 pop=
ulation 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 an=
other program.  That is not keeping your present insurance as the President=
 proposed."



The director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Douglas Elmendorf, h=
as acknowledged that seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage will lose benef=
its 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.  C=
uts 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 st=
ate taxpayers.  Crapo said the overall health care bill could total $1.7 tr=
illion over the full ten years of implementing the program.



"Then there are the costs to those who are happy with their existing insura=
nce," 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 poten=
tially 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=3D318260



# # #

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

This is generated from an unattended mailbox. If you have constituent comme=
nts 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.


--_000_EF22B21D8CEAA148B030C28A9708DB9EEF99E632SENATEEX05senat_
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<div class=3D"Section1">
<div>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal" style=3D"margin-left:4.0in;text-indent:-4.0in"><font=
 size=3D"3" face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Aria=
l">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE        &nb=
sp;            =
            &nb=
sp;            &nbsp=
;            &n=
bsp;          CONTACT: &n=
bsp;  Susan Wheeler
 (202) 224-5150</span></font></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal" style=3D"margin-left:4.0in;text-indent:-4.0in"><font=
 size=3D"3" face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Aria=
l">September 24, 2009         =
            &nb=
sp;            =
            &nb=
sp;            =
             &n=
bsp;            &nbs=
p;            &=
nbsp;        
 Lindsay Nothern (208) 344-1108</span></font></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><font size=3D"3" face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-=
size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial"> </span></font></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><font size=3D"3" face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-=
size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial">         &n=
bsp;
</span></font></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><font size=3D"3" face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-=
size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial"> </span></font></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><a name=3D"OLE_LINK3"></a><a name=3D"OLE_LINK2"><fon=
t size=3D"3" face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Ari=
al"> </span></font></a></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal" align=3D"center" style=3D"text-align:center"><b><fon=
t size=3D"5" face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-size:18.0pt;font-family:Ari=
al;font-weight:bold">CRAPO WARNS OF COSTS TO SENIORS, STATES</span></font><=
/b></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal" align=3D"center" style=3D"text-align:center;line-hei=
ght:110%"><b><i><font size=3D"4" color=3D"black" face=3D"Arial"><span style=
=3D"font-size:14.0pt;line-height:110%;
font-family:Arial;color:black;font-weight:bold;font-style:italic">60,000 Id=
aho seniors
 could lose benefits of Medicare Advantage program </span></font></i></b></=
p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal" align=3D"center" style=3D"text-align:center"><i><fon=
t size=3D"1" face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Aria=
l;font-style:italic"> </span></font></i></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><font size=3D"3" face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-=
size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial">Washington, DC – Idaho Senator Mike Crapo said tod=
ay that senior citizens and state taxpayers will feel the pain if health ca=
re reforms envisioned in the Senate
 Finance Committee are approved by Congress.  Crapo, a member of the F=
inance Committee, charges the legislation could hurt senior citizens who en=
joy coverage under the popular Medicare Advantage program because that prog=
ram may be cut by $113 billion under
 the present proposal.  </span></font></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><font size=3D"3" face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-=
size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial"> </span></font></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><font size=3D"3" face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-=
size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial">Crapo offered an amendment to the bill today that would =
have stopped the reductions in Medicare Advantage if those changes result i=
n 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 pro=
gram is popular, especially in rural areas where patients have limited acce=
ss to and choices for health care.  “My
 amendment seeks to preserve that choice,” Crapo said, but the amendm=
ent was voted down over technical objections.
</span></font></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><font size=3D"3" face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-=
size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial"> </span></font></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><font size=3D"3" face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-=
size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial">“President Obama said ‘if you like your pres=
ent 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 cu=
rrent Medicare Advantage benefits if the present bill before the committee =
passes without further amendment.  “There are 60,000 people in I=
daho enrolled in Medicare Advantage—that’s
 27 percent of the Medicare population in Idaho.  Those affected by th=
ese cuts are 20 percent of the Medicare population nationwide,” he ad=
ded.  “That is not an insignificant proportion of our seniors wh=
o will either see a loss in benefits or have to switch
 to another program.  That is not keeping your present insurance as th=
e President proposed.”</span></font></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><font size=3D"3" face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-=
size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial"> </span></font></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><font size=3D"3" face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-=
size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial">The director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), D=
ouglas Elmendorf, has acknowledged that seniors enrolled in Medicare Advant=
age will lose benefits under
 the plan.  Because the legislation has not been detailed, the CBO can=
’t offer a fair cost analysis.</span></font></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><font size=3D"3" face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-=
size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial"> </span></font></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><font size=3D"3" face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-=
size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial">Rushing the bill through will also be disastrous for sta=
tes, Crapo said.  Cuts to the Medicare program by $500 billion will re=
sult in higher costs for the states
 partnering in the program—costs that will be passed along to state t=
axpayers.  Crapo said the overall health care bill could total $1.7 tr=
illion over the full ten years of implementing the program.</span></font></=
p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><font size=3D"3" face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-=
size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial"> </span></font></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><font size=3D"3" face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-=
size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial">“Then there are the costs to those who are happy w=
ith their existing insurance,” Crapo noted.  “The taxes ca=
lled 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. 
</span></font></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><font size=3D"3" face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-=
size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial"> </span></font></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><font size=3D"3" face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-=
size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial">“The markup in Committee has shown that people wil=
l 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 add=
ed.  </span>
</font></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><font size=3D"3" face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-=
size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial"> </span></font></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><font size=3D"3" face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-=
size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial"> </span></font></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><a name=3D"OLE_LINK1"><font size=3D"3" face=3D"Arial=
"><span style=3D"font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial">To directly link to th=
is news release, please use the following address:
</span></font></a></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><font size=3D"3" color=3D"blue" face=3D"Arial"><span=
 style=3D"font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:blue"><a href=3D"http://crapo.senate.gov/med=
ia/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=3D318260">http://crapo.senate.gov/media=
/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=3D318260</a></span></font></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><font size=3D"3" face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-=
size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial"> </span></font></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal" align=3D"center" style=3D"text-align:center"><font s=
ize=3D"3" face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial"=
># # #</span></font></p>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal" align=3D"center" style=3D"text-align:center"><font s=
ize=3D"2" face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial"=
>......................................................................</sp=
an></font></p>
<p><font size=3D"2" color=3D"black" face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-size=
:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial;color:black">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, <a href=3D"http://crapo.senate.gov/" title=3D"ht=
tp://crapo.senate.gov/">
http://crapo.senate.gov</a>. Comments sent to this e-mail address will not =
be responded to.</span></font></p>
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