Last-Minute Inserts Offer Benefits in Medicare Bill

[Robbien]

<snip>

Mr. Hastert’s provision showed up mysteriously after House and Senate negotiators had finished writing the bill. The provision was added by the House Rules Committee, just a few hours before the bill went to the House floor last week.

Under current law, Medicare beneficiaries can sign up for a prescription drug plan or a private Medicare Advantage plan from Nov. 15 to Dec. 31 each year. They have a limited ability to make changes through March 31 and are generally locked in for the remainder of the year.

Mr. Hastert’s amendment permits certain Medicare Advantage plans, like Aon’s, to enroll people throughout the year. Ron Bonjean, a spokesman for Mr. Hastert, said the purpose was “to get more people enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans.” Al Orendorff, a spokesman for Aon, said, “We are not going to comment.”

. . .

Mr. Reid’s amendment provided $3.8 million in relief to the Nathan Adelson Hospice. Medicare officials said they had overpaid the hospice and were trying to recover that amount. Mr. Reid said the legislation would overturn “a flawed administrative ruling” by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The legislation retroactively designates the Adelson hospice in Pahrump as a branch of one in Las Vegas, making more money available.

. . .

In Tennessee, hospitals estimate that they will get at least $131 million because of a provision added by Mr. Frist, who is retiring from the Senate next month. The money will go to about 90 hospitals serving disproportionate numbers of low-income Medicaid patients and people without insurance.

. . .

read on for more last minute pork
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/15/washington/15medicare.html?ei=5087%0A&em=&en=313c1813265235fb&ex=1166331600&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1166202134-aXxtmAq5wTudlh/eZ8ywBA


With all the pork given out in the bills this last week, no wonder the Dems are saying no more pork for a while. Dems can't give out more pork because it appears as if every lobbyist has gotten all his current requests satisfied. Lobbyists need the extra time to think up new requests.

[Ian David]

1. Nathan Adelson Hospice in Nevada should only get the Medicare money if they promise...

to fly the Mexican flag!

See:

Nevada town makes foreign flags illegal - CNN.com
A Nevada town passed a law this week making it illegal to fly a foreign nation's ... of foreign flags, like Mexico's, are now illegal in Pahrump, Nevada. ...
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/11/17/pahrump.flags.reut/index.html