WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Pat Roberts said the huge cuts to Medicare in the partisan health care reform bill would be devastating to seniors. On the Senate floor today, Senator Roberts spoke in favor of an effort by Senator John McCain (R-AZ) to eliminate the devastating Medicare cuts in the bill that would put seniors at risk.

“This bill slashes half a trillion dollars from Medicare, and uses it to establish a huge, new government entitlement program,” Senator Roberts said. “Medicare is already going broke, and threatens to bankrupt this country with its $38 trillion in projected unfunded liabilities. Instead of considering Medicare reform to address this, this health care ‘reform’ bill cuts $465 billion from Medicare in order to start a brand new entitlement program, paid for on the backs of American seniors, which is completely irresponsible.

“Cutting reimbursements to doctors, hospitals, and home health providers, is not real reform. Medicare already pays them well below fair market costs. Enacting this bill will mean fewer doctors will open their doors to new Medicare patients and health care access and quality for our seniors will be compromised. This bill will hurt Medicare beneficiaries, our seniors who have worked their entire lives with the promise that this program would support them through their older age.

Included in the nearly $500 billion in drastic cuts to Medicare is a $120 billion cut to the Medicare Advantage program. Nearly 11 million, or one-quarter, of Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in Medicare Advantage, and 40,000 of those beneficiaries are in Kansas. These reductions also include $150 billion to providers including hospitals, hospice, and nursing homes and $23 billion in decreases to be determined by an Independent Medicare Advisory Board.

“Shockingly, the bill cuts $105.5 billion to hospitals and according to the Kansas Hospital Association, this bill would be devastating to their bottom lines; resulting in nearly $1.5 billion in losses to Kansas hospitals by 2019. Some hospital losses could be offset, but I am not willing to gamble with the financial health of our hospital safety net on a matter of such huge consequence.

On the Senate floor today, Senator Roberts spoke in favor of McCain’s motion to recommit this legislation, sending it back to the Finance Committee with instructions to eliminate the half of a trillion dollars in Medicare cuts in the current bill. Earlier this year, during the Finance Committee’s consideration of the health care reform legislation, Senator Roberts offered a nearly identical amendment to McCain’s effort being considered. Unfortunately, Roberts’ amendment was voted down by a party-line procedural vote in Committee.

“This health care reform bill, crafted behind closed doors, has plenty to hide from the American people, including: the $2.5 trillion cost, the 24 million people still left uninsured, the unconscionable half-trillion dollar cuts to Medicare with another half-trillion dollars in job-killing tax increases.

Roberts concluded, “I will not support a bill that is paid for on the backs of our seniors and devastating to our states, hospitals, nursing homes, home health providers, and so on. This bill aims to control the government’s spending on health care by rationing your access to that care. I have already voted against this legislation and I will continue to oppose it at every opportunity.”

Senator Roberts is a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and the Senate Committee on Finance. He is Co-chairman of the Senate Rural Health Caucus.

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