Doctors attack Cochran & Wicker

The American Medical Association is not too pleased with U.S. Senate. The AMA is running ads in Mississippi, and a few other places attacking ten senators, including Wicker & Cochran for their recent vote on Medicare. (Seven of the ten are up for re-election this year.)

From the Clarion-Ledger:

Former Mississippi Gov. Ronnie Musgrove, a Democrat running against Wicker, said Wednesday that Wicker's recent vote shows he's influenced by special interests, including insurance companies. "He chose private insurance companies over Mississippi citizens," Musgrove said.

But Wicker said the bill would cut benefits to 27,109 Mississippi seniors who receive heath care through Medicare Advantage, private health insurance plans that receive Medicare dollars.

"That is a horrible and unnecessary choice, and one that is the result of a majority party deciding to play a game of political chicken at the expense of the elderly," Wicker said.

Nearly every year, Congress votes to reinstate the money that would be automatically cut when Medicare spending reaches a certain level. But this year's bill, which Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid plans to bring up again next week, would prevent the cut by reducing payments to insurers.

President Bush wants to avoid cutting Medicare fees for doctors but doesn't like the idea of reducing payments to insurers or other aspects of the bill. This week, his administration delayed the processing of Medicare claims to give Congress more time to block the cuts.

From Kaiser:

AMA's advertisements, which began running Tuesday, target by name 10 Republican senators who voted against the measure: John Cornyn (Texas), Kay Bailey Hutchison (Texas), John Sununu (N.H.), John Barrasso (Wyo.), Mike Enzi (Wyo.), Bob Corker (Tenn.), Lamar Alexander (Tenn.), Roger Wicker (Miss.), Thad Cochran (Miss.) and Arlen Specter (Pa.). Seven of the senators face re-election this year (Wayne, CQ Today, 7/1). The television and radio ads, which are running in six states, reference the Fourth of July and say, "There's no celebrating for the millions of seniors, the disabled and military families who will lose their access to health care. A group of U.S. senators voted to protect the powerful insurance companies at the expense of Medicare patients' access to doctors" (Yen, AP/Tampa Tribune, 7/1).

Click here to see what the AMA President had to say about the U.S. selling out to private health insurance companies.

If you find the ad on YouTube, please let us know or post the link in the comments.