Kent Conrad: Health Care Bill Strengthens Medicare, Medicare Actuaries: No, It Won’t
Kent Conrad is putting on his used car salesman hat these days and trying to sell North Dakotans on an ugly, unpopular health care bill that no fewer than 3 polls have indicated that 2/3′s of them oppose. In a column in the Grand Forks Herald, Conrad actually claims that this health care bill will “strengthen” Medicare.
WASHINGTON — Bob Adams’ Jan. 8 column is an example of two of my greatest concerns about the discussion surrounding the health care reform process: the prevalence of misleading information and the disrespectful tone of the debate (“Conrad’s Medicare cuts hurt seniors,” Page A4).
Unfortunately, I am not surprised to see such misinformation being promoted by Adams. He is the leader of a controversial out-of-state group formed solely to attack health care reform. His letter distorts the facts and tries to scare North Dakota’s seniors.
Health care reform is an issue of importance to all North Dakotans, and it is vital that information is shared responsibly and accurately. So here are the facts:
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that I voted for will strengthen Medicare, reduce health care costs, expand coverage, help North Dakota’s families and small businesses afford health insurance and cut the deficit.
That’s a funny claim to make given that the Medicare and Medicaid actuaries just issued a report indicating that the health care bill will not only increase health care costs, it will actually drive many health care providers out of the Medicare/Medicaid programs. That report reads, in part:
[P]roviders for whom Medicare constitutes a substantive portion of their business could find it difficult to remain profitable and, absent legislative intervention, might end their participation in the program (possibly jeopardizing access to care for beneficiaries).
So would Conrad have us believe that this bill “strengthens” Medicare when the people actually responsible for administering that entitlement behemoth are saying the exact opposite?
Just how stupid does the Senator think we are?
