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AARP, seniors groups oppose McCain amendment
The nonpartisan AARP and two left-leaning seniors' groups on Wednesday separately urged Senate lawmakers to reject an amendment that would strip some Medicare changes from the chamber's healthcare bill.
While the amendment's author, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), stressed upon introducing his effort this week that it would shield seniors from Democrats' proposed cuts, the three seniors groups on Wednesday independently concluded McCain's proposal would do both Medicare and the entire healthcare reform process more harm than good.
"The legislation before the Senate properly focuses on provider reimbursement reforms to achieve these important policy objectives," he added, noting AARP believes those savings will ultimately strengthen Medicare. "Most importantly, the legislation does not reduce any guaranteed Medicare benefits."
The chiefs of both the Medicare Rights Center and Center for Medicare Advocacy echoed those concerns, noting in their own joint statement that McCain's proposal would "kill the bill," not protect Medicare's beneficiaries.
"Most importantly, by derailing efforts to pass health reform, the McCain amendment would prevent the benefit improvements in the bill for people with Medicare from becoming a reality," they wrote.
Presumably, McCain faced an uphill battle securing support for his amendment from the start. The effort, which would recommit the entire healthcare bill to the Finance Committee with instructions to remove most of its Medicare changes, garnered only little interest among Democrats in the chamber.
But the reaction from the AARP in particular could set up another interesting showdown between the country's largest seniors' lobby and congressional Republicans, who have long been at odds over healthcare reform.
Not long after the House passed its bill, the chamber's GOPers called on the AARP to retract its endorsement in light of similar, possible Medicare cuts.
The lobby, however, opted not to change its course, and it stressed again on Wednesday it still supported Democrats' work on healthcare reform.
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