HHS Corrects the Record on Medicare Advantage; Reid vs. Reid on Medicaid
To follow up on Senator Grassley’s letter to Secretary Sebelius yesterday, Politico reports this morning that the Department of Health and Human Services has corrected its website account of the Secretary’s speech to AARP last week. Instead of stating that “there will be more Medicare Advantage plans to choose from” – a factually incorrect statement, given CMS’ efforts to reduce the number of plans for 2011 – the website was amended to read that “there will be more meaningful choices.” The revision comes nearly a month after the Secretary wrote to insurers objecting to their “misinformation” regarding premium increases as a result of the health law.
Separately, The Hill noted that in last night’s Nevada gubernatorial debate, Rory Reid – son of Majority Leader Harry Reid – expressed his own concerns about the health care law’s impact on Nevada. Specifically, the junior Reid noted that “there is potential for [the law] to put significant pressure on states because Medicaid rates could go up significantly” – at a time when many states, including Nevada, are struggling to maintain their existing Medicaid programs.