Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
Stumble
Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009 | 2 a.m.
Sen. John Ensign
Sun Coverage
Sun Archives
- How the overhaul could alter the popular but costly Medicare Advantage (9-20-2009)
- Sticker shock: How the overhaul could exact a heavy toll on state finances (9-20-2009)
- Desperate for insurance, residents share health care woes (9-18-2009)
- Nationwide tour promoting health care reform ends in Las Vegas (9-18-2009)
- Harry Reid: Health care bill won't work for Nevada (9-16-2009)
- Grant to aid 400 waiting for Medicare (9-14-2009)
- Editorial: Lowering Medicare costs (9-2-2009)
- Medicare Advantage plans may lose federal cash (1-16-2009)
Republican Sen. John Ensign vowed to focus on health care reform, to show Nevadans he is working hard for them after the distractions that accompanied his disclosure of an affair this summer.
This week Ensign is poised to try to do that with more than 30 amendments to the health care bill.
Ensign is a member of the Senate Finance Committee, which today will begin the arduous task of sifting through proposed changes and preparing the bill for a vote by the panel, possibly by week’s end. It is tough work: The 23-member committee is staring down more than 500 amendments.
Ensign’s offerings span the hot-button issues of the health care debate and beyond: He wants to ban money for the controversial community activist group ACORN, block health coverage for illegal immigrants, halt the expansion of Medicaid and replace the word “fee” with the word “tax” throughout the bill.
Democrats see these as “nuisance amendments” aimed at grabbing publicity and derailing the bill.
But a senior Republican aide said Ensign is offering amendments important to the debate.
“These are huge issues,” said the GOP Senate leadership aide. “These are core issues that almost every Republican in Congress cares about.”
Ensign is not alone in attempting to alter the bill.
Republicans are offering amendments to gut the expansion of Medicaid, ensure abortions are not covered and require that federal employees buy their health care from the new exchange.
Democrats are proposing a range of amendments, including one to establish the public option — the government-run health program that would be offered alongside private plans as a competitive alternative on the health care exchange.
Working through all the amendments promises long days and nights ahead.
Ensign’s 30 amendments include proposals to:
• guarantee that no senior citizen would be dropped from the popular Medicare Advantage plans and forced onto a new health plan.
This amendment is an attempt to appeal to seniors who are nervous about changes to Medicare Advantage, which serves one in three Nevadans on Medicare. The program is costing the federal government 14 percent more than regular Medicare, and Democrats want to trim it back to parity. That could prompt some companies to eliminate Medicare Advantage plans, and the seniors covered by these plans would need to find a new insurer or sign up for regular Medicare.
Ensign’s amendment would prohibit proposed changes to Medicare Advantage if any senior’s coverage is changed.
• prohibit an expansion of Medicaid for poor residents if it requires states to pay more than an additional 1 percent of their current Medicaid costs.
This has been the subject of debate in Nevada, where the governor opposes expanding Medicaid unless it is fully paid for by the federal government. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is fighting to get a greater federal subsidy for Nevada.
Under the Senate bill, the costs to Nevada would increase by 5 percent a year, in large part because the state expects to have a large number of poor people sign up.
• prohibit federal money for ACORN, the low-income housing organization snared in an undercover journalism expose.
• require any new health czars to be confirmed by the Senate.
• replace the word “fee” with the word “tax” throughout the bill.
• require Social Security cards be shown to block illegal immigrants from receiving subsidies to help pay for health insurance. The bill already prohibits illegal immigrants from receiving subsidies to buy mandated health insurance.
Jim Kessler, vice president of policy at the centrist Third Way think tank, said with these amendments, Ensign is “trying to create a nuisance. He’s not trying to legislate. He’s trying to be difficult. The truth is, if these passed, he still wouldn’t support the bill,” he said.
“These aren’t really serious substantive amendments by someone thinking deeply about health care. These are political amendments designed to score points, designed to get press,” he added.
Ensign’s office did not respond to requests for comment about his legislation.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid does not sit on this committee or have proxy amendments.
Ensign has always been a go-to senator for Republicans, willing to jump into the fray with legislative initiatives. Republican leaders also likely support giving him an opening to turn the page after disclosure this summer of his affair with a staff member forced him to step down from his leadership position and saddled his colleagues with unwanted attention.
It is unclear just how many of Ensign’s 30 amendments will make it to debate as the senators go around the room and one-by-one offer their top priorities. But he will have his chance to make a mark.
That's ok Senator Ensign, Senator Reid will get the job done.
I only WISH you could have spent some time in Washington working around Sam Rayburn and LBJ years ago. That would have been a "learning experience", especially with Rayburn.
You want the same outcomes from a healthcare reform bill that almost every Republican Senator is working for, (1) a federal mandate that Big Insurance gets more paying customers, or else penalties for citizens, and (2) no public option, meaning healthcare costs (and profits) can continue to go up.
After all, Big Insurance is going to need to feed the kitty to reimburse all the lobbying money they are spending this year to stall real reform.
Republican intentions are to stall as much reform as possible, and work to get gains in 2010 to being the process of reversing or diluting to the benefit of Big Insurance.
Isn't it amazing how democracy works, that Senators-Reps from states such as South Carolina, Arkansas, Montana, Nebraska, Kentucky and Ohio, can be so outspoken and vocal against reform, holding back economies like California and New York.
The state you represent is near the BOTTOM in healthcare in the nation. You have no BRANDED HOSPITAL OR CLINIC, the exception being the new Brain-Alzheimers Clinic, which sounds boutique in access, sans confirming facts.
Gaming executives above the glass ceiling have special plans and clauses providing healthcare paths outside the state for themselves and their families, without a lot of rigaramoo.
Nevada citizens and healthcare providers have been dumbed down and/or cast out of the state under HPN, now United Health (i.e. "new big brother"), so of all people, you as an elected Senator should understand needs rather than dogmas and old friends.
Nevada companies, labor and cost structure need the public option. But, you stand with the other side, having excellent federally funded health and dental for you and your family through your Congressional job.
Newt is sifting through plans for a new Contract with America for 2010 elections, calling people even last week, this I know first hand. Will Newt run in 2012 (?), undecided.
The generations of power are changing in this country now, and in the coming years. As the WHO song states, we "won't get fooled again."
My, how times are changing (there's that "pest word" again). There are new alpha males coming into their own with real money behind them, not the same as the old alpha males. Beware, 2008 was not a fluke. And, as you well know Senator Ensign, good old American dollars win out in the end. You're on the wrong side of the table this time. America will embrace diversity, embrace change, and make our country more structurally fit to compete in the world economy without Republican dogmas.
hey johnnie boy ensign...
you slept with your best friend's wife...
then you fired them both when you got caught...
then you ran to mommy and daddy to fix your boo boo...
all while a member of the family cult...
all while a promise keeper...
listen up johnnie boy...
go away...
you blew it...
it's over...
no one cares what you have to say...
everyone knows you are a scum bag and can not be trusted...
get back in the fetal position on mommy and daddy's basement floor...
besides...
don't you have an ethics investigation to prepare for???
Keep on fighting for Nevada JE... Your the only thing this state has for representation in Congress...
Nipple tweaks? Too bad nobody here or in the senate respects you anymore.
So if I mess around with someone's wife, it's simply a distraction? "Gee honey, I missed work yesterday because I was distracted?" Man, talk about schmoozing the issue. Think I'll go to the club tonight, and see if I can get distracted-and lucky.
Ensign is a SEXUAL PREDATOR. What does Acorn have to do with healthcare?
This guy is worthless
To mrtmtrvlr, nednougat, Nick and the rest.
At least Ensign is trying his best, to make a health care bill that maybe might pass.
You might fault him as a man, but don't fault him in his attempt to pass the health care bill that you want.
So, mrtmtrvlr, nednougat, Nick and the rest. If you have never sinned then step to the front of the class. And we will anoint you with a crown and a vest.
without the amendments there is no mechanism to insure that illegals will not benefit from the public plan. Saying that they do not benefit is dishonest and misleading.
Healthcare reform needs to start with allowing us to buy insurance across state lines. See what that does then look at more changes. Any legit business in the world starts with beta testing before complete roll-out. Why not our government?
Idiot Ensign, as some call him, is one of two Senators from Nevada. We all know the other who won't represent Nevada at all. So, all we have left is Ensign to look after Nevada and her needs.
Ensign is not perfect, and neither are you. So get off your high horse and help him along.
If you want health care reform, get on board or you will see health care reform, going down the tube. You see Ensign has one vote, and that's enough to make it go.
Those naysayers who say Ensign's an idiot, maybe should hope that Ensign can get it done. He has entered 30 amendments to make health reform a go. Which is quite a few more then the other Senator from Nevada.
Yes, I remember LBJ and Sam Rayburn too. I got a letter from Rayburn saying congratulations on making it through High School, now sign up for the draft and see the world. Within a year, I was in uniform, and LBJ said that he was sending me to Nam.
30 more ideas from this guy, more ways to put it to the little guy. hope you like your trash wingnuts.
RE: Journey
Substantial tort reform has been passed in Texas through the leadership of Governor Perry, and separate studies conducted by the University of Illinois and the University of Texas to measure results on cost have concluded that there has been a negligible effect on costs.
A Texas US Representative last week stated at a town hall meeting that tort reform had no significantly effected cost, as Republicans had hoped.
If someone in your family was severely harmed for a long time by Dr. Desai's practice, say a single mom with two young children to raise, how would you feel about your support for tort reform which greatly impacted her ability to provide for her children in future years?
Those are the questions which persons in Congress must answer to themselves.
Tweaking our approach to medicine, where doctors working for low reimbursements are not just conducting tests over and over without any real effect on patient outcomes, is more important to cost containment than tort reform.
Is there a need for some tort reform, yes. Do we need more competent doctors and less hungry attorneys in this country now? Yes.
Health reform must empower doctors, healthcare providers, especially referral clinics and hospitals, and PCPs, putting funding in their hands, not insurance companies and attorneys.
COST is the single biggest reason for healthcare reform. ACCESS is the second biggest reason. They go hand in hand. For example, in Nevada you have a low cost contract structure, meaning doctors reimbursements are low, meaning tney have large patient loads to cover overhead, meaning you sit until 330pm in a crowded lobby for a 2pm appt, to get five minutes of evaluation.
Retired people on Medicare are some of the very people in this country who can afford to sit, however long it takes. And they are some of the very ones with time for Tea Parties, and the like.
The fall out from fiscal behaviors during the Bush years, and even further back, are going to take this country 4-6 years to climb out of. Both parties know this, but everybody is doing a dance, nobody talking about it. In the mean time, we should now restructure our economy, beginning with healthcare costs, to gear up for China, India and other competing economies in the years to come.
Changing the word fee to tax, boy I feel better already. Why didn't I think of that? Now I can change premium to paid and heart attack to acne and all is well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nIlFsERn...
The state of Mississippi instituted tort reform several years ago. It lowered medical liability insurance by over 65%.
"The state of Mississippi instituted tort reform several years ago. It lowered medical liability insurance by over 65%." My three questions are: Did it also lower the cost of medical care? If it did not where did the savings go? Did not Nevada institute Tort Reform also and has this decreased the medical costs in your state?
Why don't we change the word "gift" to "bribe"
change the word "employee" to "sex partner"
change the word "hair" to "oil patch"
change the word "friend" to "sex partner's husband"
change the word "Ensign" to "Swine"
Ensign is our only Senator that's for Nevadans. Wait till next year, we're going to settle this mess. Go Tarkanian!
Ah, the name calling from the far left zealots is ramping up. Do they know something that we don't?
They see Ensign doing his job and working within the system to obtain a good health care reform bill for all of us in Nevada.
And then they see Harry threatening the Senate with a "nuclear option" just because he can...
The American healthcare system needs reforming alright, but not in the form of "federalizing" it. The only governmental interference that it needs is to deny healthcare to illegal aliens.
Senator Ensign understands this.