Dem Senator Fears His Own Medicare Tweak in GOP Bill

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., is hoping to squeeze his No UPCODE Act (No Unreasonable Payments, Coding, or Diagnoses for the Elderly Act) into the budget reconciliation package before the Senate vote, but the bill's co-sponsor Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., is urging for it to be parsed out.

Merkley wants the Medicare tweak to be passed "through regular order, not in the context of a partisan bill," he told Politico on Monday.

The Senate budget reconciliation package will be partisan because Democrats under Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have vowed to unanimously vote against it before it is constructed.

But the No UPCODE Act seeks to root out "waste, fraud, and abuse" in the Medicare Advantage healthcare plans, according to Cassidy, who called it "common sense" that insurers "shouldn't be allowed to overcharge taxpayers for the care they deliver," Politico reported.

"To say the No UPCODE Act has bipartisan support is an understatement," Cassidy told Politico.

The Senate might want to include Cassidy and Merkley's bipartisan bill because it roots out up to $100 million in costs of the budget reconciliation package.

But including it would force Merkley to ostensibly vote against his own co-sponsored legislation.

President Donald Trump has stated he will be cutting Medicare "waste, fraud, and abuse" but has repeatedly admonished Republicans to leave Medicare benefits uncut otherwise.

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., has been adamant on leaving Medicare funding intact, while House Republicans "specifically kept that out," Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., said.

Politico reported there is concern that making cuts to Medicare was "politically toxic," because it serves a Democrat talking point to target Republicans.

This story was updated to note "politically toxic" was quoted from the Politico report and are not words from Fitzpatrick.

• Tillis: Sens. Eye Medicare Waste Savings in Budget Bill
• Rep. Babin to Newsmax: Dems Using 'Hyperbole' to Kill Big, Beautiful Bill