Senate Republican leader defends new Medicare law, rejects changes this ye

[Judi Lynn]

Senate Republican leader defends new Medicare law, rejects changes this year

MARK SHERMAN, Associated Press Writer
Friday, February 6, 2004


(02-06) 09:06 PST WASHINGTON (AP) --

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Friday he opposes changes to the new Medicare law this year, despite a raft of proposals, higher cost estimates from the Bush administration and steady criticism from Democrats.

Frist, a surgeon, also said he does not expect major health care legislation to pass Congress this year, although he said he plans to focus on limiting awards in medical malpractice cases, a hot-button election-year topic.

The Tennessee Republican said the sweeping changes to Medicare, including a new prescription drug benefit for seniors, should be given a chance to work before changes are considered. He said he was not troubled by the administration's estimate that the law would cost $534 billion over 10 years, a third more than projected by congressional budget analysts. (snip)

He said Democrats are fearful that Republicans will receive credit for passing a law that improves health care for seniors. "Democrats are out right now banging this thing, using partisan criticism to tear it down," Frist said.
(snip/...)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/02/06/financial1206EST0097.DTL

[agingdem]

1. Fearful?

We WANT the Republicans to take credit for this bill! It stinks and everyone know it stinks.

[RobertSeattle]

2. Good lets make it a campaign issue: repeal it

No bill is better than this lousy bill. The GOP can save face and we can save big bucks until a better bill passes.

I bet they are really smarting over the fact that the Medicare bill has not helped the GOP or Bush one iota.

[truhavoc]

3. Did anyone see the commercial on CNN

Where the US Dept of Health and Human Services paid for an ad talking about medicare? How much better it is that what we had before? I think it is a little shadey when you have cabinet departments making political ads for the republican party.

[Judi Lynn]

4. Using Democrats' own taxes to do it! Loathesome. n/t

[schultzee]

5. He is already a medicare thief! Columbia HCA and his family

stole millions of our tax dollars and got a little fine on the writst. He and Billy Tauzin should be in the same bed of corruption and crime. In all my life I have never seen such blantant corruption in congress and the white house.