All Dems Opposing Medicare Panel Have Major Industry Ties

[sasha031]

A small but growing Democrats are lining up to oppose a major element of Obama's deficit reduction plan—and all have received major campaign contributions to the health care industry. As I wrote last week, Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-TK) became the third and highest-profile House Democrat to support a GOP bill to repeal a Medicare panel with sweeping authority to make spending cuts to health-care providers and services.

The Medicare panel, known as the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), raised the hackles of health care industry groups that could take a hit from such cuts. Unsurprisingly, all the Democrats who want to repeal the board—including two business-friendly New Democrats and one pro-labor liberal Dem—have received major campaign contributions from the health care industry.

Health professionals were the top industry donating to Rep. Shelly Berkeley’s campaign committee in the 2010 election cycle, and they’re the second-largest industry to donate directly to her campaign since the Nevada Democrat's election to Congress in 2000. Similarly, as Jonathan Cohn points out, health professionals are the third-largest group to donate to Schwartz, who also receives big donations from the pharmaceutical industry. Finally, Pharma was the fifth biggest donor to Rep. Mike Capuano (D-Mass.), a liberal Dem who received more than $100,000 in 2010 alone from the industry.
http://motherjones.com/mojo/2011/04/all-dems-opposing-medicare-panel-have-major-industry-ties

[xchrom]

1. recommend

[county worker]

2. Obama wants the panel to make rules and by-pass any congressional approval

or rejection of a rule. I don't think those who appose the panel as Obama wants it set up have the motives you attribute to them.

You can't cut the providers' income and expect them to continue to provide the same services.

The biggest costs in providing health care to people are the cost of medical equipment, drugs, insurance for malpractice, billing and compliance costs along with the doctor's salary.

If you want to lower Medicare costs you have to lower those costs first. I am speaking as a past controller of a medical clinic and currently work for a county medical services dept.

[EFerrari]

3. Thanks, county worker.

You bring up some really good points.