Research Briefing

Sen. Reid’s Boasts Health Care Debate Was Transparent … Let’s Review

HARRY REID IS TAKING CREDIT FOR C-SPAN BROADCASTING SENATE PROCEEDINGS

Sen. Reid Claimed Health Care Negotiations Were Broadcast On C-SPAN And Transparent. “Throughout this debate, we have kept our promise to make this process as transparent as possible. Just as the committee hearings were open to the public and televised, so has the debate been on the final bill. Debate on the Senate floor has been televised on C-SPAN and also streamed on the Internet.” (Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), Op-Ed, “Health Insurance Reform Will Lower Costs For Nevadans,” The Nevada Appeal, 12/23/09)

SO WHICH OF THESE NOTORIOUS BACKROOM DEALS DID SEN. REID NEGOTIATE ON C-SPAN?

THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE: Sen. Mary Landrieu Voted For Health Care Bill After Sen. Reid Gave Her A $300 Million Earmark To Secure Her Vote. “On the eve of Saturday's showdown in the Senate over health-care reform, Democratic leaders still hadn't secured the support of Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), one of the 60 votes needed to keep the legislation alive. … And so it came to pass that Landrieu walked onto the Senate floor midafternoon Saturday to announce her aye vote -- and to trumpet the financial ‘fix’ she had arranged for Louisiana. ‘I am not going to be defensive,’ she declared. ‘And it's not a $100 million fix. It's a $300 million fix.’” ((H.R. 3590, Cloture Vote On Motion To Proceed, Roll Call Vote #353; Approved 60-39; D 58-0; R 0-39, I 2-0, 11/21/09; Dana Milbank, Op-Ed, “Sweeteners For The South,” The Washington Post, 11/22/09)

THE CORNHUSKER KICKBACK: Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) Struck Several Deals To Secure His Vote. “SEN. BEN NELSON, D-NEB., who provided the critical 60th vote that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid needed, received numerous benefits for Nebraska, along with tighter curbs on abortion. … The federal government will pick up the full cost of a proposed expansion of Medicaid, at an estimated cost of $100 million over 10 years. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska will be exempted from an annual fee on insurers; the exemption could also apply to nonprofit insurers in other states, possibly including Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. Supplemental ‘Medigap’ policies such as those sold by Mutual of Omaha are exempted from the annual fee on insurers, something that would help other companies selling such policies. A physician-owned hospital being built in Bellevue, Neb., could get referrals from doctors who own it, avoiding a new ban in the Senate bill that will apply to hospitals built in the future.” (“Concessions Lawmakers Won In The Health Bill,” The Associated Press, 12/22/09)

THE U CON: Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) Added $100 Million For A Hospital That He’d Like To Get For His State. “SEN. CHRISTOPHER DODD, D-CONN., chairman of the Banking Committee and facing a difficult re-election next year, added an item making $100 million available for construction of a hospital at a public university. The measure leaves it up to the Health and Human Services Department to decide where to spend the money. Dodd says more than a dozen sites could be eligible, but he hopes the University of Connecticut will be the beneficiary.” (“Concessions Lawmakers Won In The Health Bill,” The Associated Press, 12/22/09)

GATOR AID: Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) Secured Extra Benefits For Medicare Advantage Beneficiaries. “SEN. BILL NELSON, D-FLA., pushed a provision he said will let about 800,000 Florida seniors enrolled in private Medicare Advantage plans keep their extra benefits. It also helps seniors in a handful of other states. Elsewhere, Medicare Advantage patients risk losing benefits because the private plans are a major target of planned cuts to Medicare.” (“Concessions Lawmakers Won In The Health Bill,” The Associated Press, 12/22/09)

HANDOUT MONTANA: Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) Got Medicare For Residents Of A Small Town With Asbestos-Related Illnesses. “SEN. MAX BAUCUS, D-MONT., chairman of the Finance Committee and a key architect of the legislation, put in a provision to help the 2,900 residents of Libby, Mont., many of whom have asbestos-related illnesses from a now-defunct mineral mine. Under Baucus' provision, which never mentions Libby by name, sickened residents could sign up for Medicare benefits.” (“Concessions Lawmakers Won In The Health Bill,” The Associated Press, 12/22/09)

OR ANY OF THESE OTHER STATE SPECIFIC DEALS?

North Dakota Senators Byron Dorgan And Kent Conrad Got A Provision For “Frontier” States. “Meanwhile, Sens. Byron Dorgan and Kent Conrad, both North Dakota Democrats, would enjoy a provision bringing higher Medicare payments to hospitals and doctors in ‘frontier counties’ of states such as -- let's see here -- North Dakota!” (Dana Milbank, “On Health-Care Bill, Democratic Senators Are In States Of Denial,” The Washington Post, 12/22/09)

Hawaii Got A Special Exemption For Higher Medicaid DSH Payments. “(I) 2D, 3RD, AND 4TH QUARTER OF FISCAL YEAR 2012.—The DSH allotment for Hawaii for the 2d, 3rd, and 4th quarters of fiscal year 2012 shall be $7,500,000. (II) TREATMENT AS A LOW-DSH STATE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2013 AND SUCCEEDING FISCAL YEARS.—With respect to fiscal year 2013, and each fiscal year thereafter, the DSH allotment for Hawaii shall be increased in the same manner as allotments for low DSH States are increased for such fiscal year under clause (iii) of 20 paragraph (5)(B).” (Sec. 10201, Manager’s Amendment, H.R. 3950 “The Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act,” Introduced 11/19/09)

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) Got $600 Million For Medicaid. “SEN. PATRICK LEAHY, D-VT., negotiated $600 million in additional Medicaid benefits for his state over 10 years. He said Vermont is due the additional benefits because the state already has acted to expand Medicaid eligibility to the levels now contemplated by the federal government. Vermont would be unfairly penalized if other states are now being helped with that expansion, he said. Massachusetts is getting $500 million in Medicaid help for similar reasons.” (“Concessions Lawmakers Won In The Health Bill,” The Associated Press, 12/22/09)

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) Got Special Treatment For Union Workers. “Longshoremen were added to the list of high-risk professions shielded from the full impact of a new tax on high-value health insurance plans. Electrical linemen were already shielded, along with policemen, firefighters, emergency first responders and workers in construction, mining, forestry, fishing and certain agriculture jobs. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., took the lead in pushing for the longshoremen carve-out.” (“Concessions Lawmakers Won In The Health Bill,” The Associated Press, 12/22/09)

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) Got A $10 Billion Increase For Community Health Centers. “SEN. BERNIE SANDERS, I-VT., who was angered after a new government-run health plan was dropped from the legislation to win over moderates like Nelson and Landrieu, held out on backing the bill until Reid, D-Nev., agreed to a $10 billion increase in support for community health centers.” (“Concessions Lawmakers Won In The Health Bill,” The Associated Press, 12/22/09)

Senate Bill Includes A Specific Tax Exemption For Insurance Companies In Nebraska And Michigan. “In addition to the Medicaid carve out, Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) negotiated an exemption from the insurance tax for non-profit insurers based in his state. The language was written in a way that only Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company, as well as Blue Cross Blue Shield nonprofit plans in Nebraska and Michigan, would qualify, according to a Democratic Senate aide. POLITICO reported Friday that Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) had sought a similar exemption from the $6 billion annual fee, and was drawing opposition from progressives, who have tried to paint the bill as a giveaway to big insurers. Non-profit insurers in Levin's state control 76 percent of industry profits -- one of the highest percentages in the country.” (Carrie Budoff Brown, “Nelson wins Insurance Tax Exemption, Too,” Politico’s “Live Pulse” Blog, 12/19/09)