Dueling Ads on Medicare

As parties on both sides continue the never ending battle over medicare reform this weekend looks to take center stage as two large organizations go head-to-head to try and sway influence over lawmakers.

America’s Health Insurance Plans and it’s rival the American Medical Association will be running dueling ads that are set to bombard your favorite national cable outlet this weekend.

Here’s a sneak peak at what you can expect *. First America’s Health Insurance Plans ad titles Again:

Next is the Medicare Cuts Hurt Seniors’ Access to Care by American Medical Association although I’m sure they’ll run a sleek 30 sec. spot this is the gist of their argument.

Of course I think they’re both wrong! I think the only real reform that will work going forward is to get the Federal Government out of the health care business all together. Market forces and competition will drive prices so low that medical needs and even insurance will be affordable by even those on a severely fixed income with the states, local organizations, churches and charity’s taking care of the most drastic cases of need.

Two Dueling Ads on Medicare Set for Congressional Recess

Two powerful health trade groups will begin airing dueling ads this week in their fight over Medicare, hoping to influence Congress as lawmakers face pressure to reverse scheduled cuts in doctor fees.

America’s Health Insurance Plans, a trade group of private insurers, is siding with Senate Republicans and the White House in their standoff with Democrats over a measure that would halt the cuts by trimming payments to private insurers. The ads, which will run on national cable television through the weekend, say reducing payments to UnitedHealth Group Inc. and other private insurers through a program called Medicare Advantage could push millions of seniors out of their current coverage.

“Millions more will have to pay higher out-of-pocket costs for health care and lose important benefits they depend on,” the ads say.

On the other side, the American Medical Association said Tuesday it was airing new television and radio ads in six states through the week that targets a group of senators who blocked action on the proposed legislation. The bill passed the House but stalled in the Senate last week amid a veto threat by President Bush.

The ads, which will initially run in Mississippi, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming, open with a reference to Independence Day. They then 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.”

• Note that these are similar ads and the author makes no claim to having knowledge of which ads will run