Senate mods mild on Medicare morph

The vaunted Harry Reid compromise on ObamaCare may be illusory. Politico explains why, by focusing on the concerns of three Senate moderates: Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Ben Nelson (R-NE), and Joe Lieberman (I-CT).

Snowe said the Medicare expansion exacerbates an “already-serious problem,” with the low government reimbursement rates for doctors and hospitals that serve Medicare patients. It could force her to vote no, she said.

Lieberman indicated that he was growing “increasingly concerned” about the proposal.

And Nelson said allowing people ages 55 to 64 to purchase Medicare coverage could simply be an intermediate step on the way to an entirely government-run health care system — “which I do not like.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if this thing does not become a viable option,” Nelson said. “I think it is going to be the lesser of the popular things, but I am keeping an open mind.”

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