Republicans Dismiss AARP, AMA Backing For House Democratic Heath Bill

November 6, 2009 12:00 p.m. EST

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - The GOP is dismissing the support of the American Medical Association and AARP, the nation's largest lobby group for seniors, for the healthcare proposal House Democrats plan to introduce on the floor on Saturday. Republicans are heightening their opposition to the bill, holding a rally on Thursday that included many Tea Party demonstrators.

AARP endorsed the legislation on Thursday, citing petitions from 1.5 million of its 40 million members. "The measure does more to lower drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries, strengthen Medicare and bar insurance companies from denying people coverage because of their health or age," the group said. "The bill also would lower premiums for Americans ages 50 to 64 who have to buy insurance in the private market."

The AMA was equally sanguine but more candid in announcing its support, saying the legislation is "not perfect" and that it would "continue to advocate for changes." However, the organization added, "[The bill] will significantly expand health insurance coverage to Americans to empower patient and physician decision making.... [it] provide incentives to states that adopt certificate of merit and/or early offer liability reforms, and reduce administrative burdens."

President Barack Obama touted the support from the two groups, singling out the one from AARP as "no small endorsement."

"We are closer to passing this reform than ever before," Obama said. "And now that the doctors and medical professionals of America are standing with us; now that the organizations charged with looking out for the interests of seniors are standing with us, we are even closer. "

But the GOP questioned AARP's credibility, citing press reports about the group's business practices.

"Some may view it as the latest in a long line of contradictory statements and actions by the purported senior advocacy group," Republicans said in a statement. "Quite often, AARP's own words serve as the strongest argument against itself, as many may wonder what-and whom-the organization stands for."

They also re-released a five-minute video featuring GOP doctors who serve in Congress, including Republican Study Committee Chairman Tom Price (R-GA), speaking about why they oppose the Democratic healthcare bill.

"The principles of accessiblity, affordabilty, quality, responsiveness, innovation and choices in the system all are improved by a better plan than has been presented by the Speaker and the Democrats in charge," Price said.

The video came the same day the U.S. Chamber of Commerce told lawmakers in a letter the bill "would make health care more expensive, create onerous new burdens for businesses, greatly increase the government's involvement in the health sector, and implement a vast array of new taxes."

"The legislation specifically states that the 'public option' will pay below market rates, which guarantees that costs will be shifted to the private sector," it added. This public option may also destabilize the insurance market and lead the country on a path toward government-run health care, because it is impossible for the government to compete on an equal playing field with the private sector."

The Chamber also warned it will "consider votes on, or in relation to, this issue in [its] annual How They Voted scorecard."

Price and other GOP leaders led a protest on the west front steps of the U.S. Capitol on Thursday that ended with some demonstrators outside Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-CA) office being arrested. The gathering included protesters who were part of "Tea Party" demonstrations held across the nation earlier this year to protest the Obama administration's "liberal" fiscal policies.

The House Committee on Rules meets late Friday to set guidelines for debate and for submitting amendments to the bill. Debate can only proceed after the rules are set, which comes after the the 72-hour window required for public review of the measure.

Debate is expected to begin over the weekend, with a vote coming as early as Saturday night, despite the admission by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) that Democrats may have to continue their fight until next year.

House Democrats unveiled an $894 billion proposal last week that covers up to 96 percent of Americans and reduces the deficit by $30 billion over a decade. But reports, citing spending that was left out of the released version, had put the cost of the measure around the trillion-dollar mark, way above the $900 billion over 10 years that the President had requested.

The bill has a public option that allows doctors to negotiate payment rates. Progressives had opposed the centrist approach, saying a government program based on Medicare provider payments and that negotiated rates would "weaken" reform.

The measure also has provisions against anti-trust exemptions for insurers, and gives states $1 billion to prevent insurers from price gouging.

House Republicans have proposed a bill that the Congressional Budget Office said in a preliminary analysis would cost $61 billion but would add expand coverage to only 3 million uninsured Americans.

The alternative proposal does not aim to directly expand coverage for the 47 million uninsured Americans, and seeks instead to achieve that goal by lowering costs of healthcare. The CBO says the bill meets this goal by lowering health care premiums by up to 10 percent. The proposal would reduce the deficit by $68 billion over 10 years.

It does not require employers to provide insurance for workers, It explicitly bans the use of federal funds for abortions, makes no cuts to Medicare, and does not provide subsidies for low-income families to buy insurance.

The Republican measure does not explicitly prohibit insurers from declining coverage because of pre-existing conditions, but "creates Universal Access Programs that expand and reform high-risk pools and reinsurance programs to guarantee that all Americans, regardless of pre-existing conditions, have access to affordable care."

In the Senate, Democrats are awaiting a score from the CBO on a bill merged from the bills of the late Ted Kennedy and Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) to the CBO for scoring.

The measure includes a public option that will allow states to opt out, as well as non-profit insurance cooperatives, a key element of the bill reported out by the Finance Committee.

With Thanksgiving only weeks away, passage of the Obama administration's priority legislation before the end of the year is somewhat in doubt. Congress holds a three-day recess during Veteran's Day, and another week-long break for Thanksgiving.