N.H. didn’t win any special concessions in health care vote
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Foster’s Adam Krauss reports that while Louisiana and Nebraska received hundreds of millions in perks for their holdout Senators, New Hampshire won’t be getting any presents in the health care bill on Christmas Eve.
It appears, however, New Hampshire wasn’t one of them. Other than the provisions meant to help all Americans, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s office couldn’t point to a benefit meant solely for the Granite State.
By contrast, Vermont should see $600 million in additional Medicaid benefits over 10 years, and Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., reportedly boasted the Bay State will receive roughly $500 million over the next three years. Louisiana should get at least $100 million in Medicaid help, and $100 million is headed to Connecticut to build a hospital at a public university. In Florida, about 800,000 seniors enrolled in private Medicare Advantage plans will be able to keep their extra benefits.
But around these parts, “this bill will cost New Hampshire $120 billion” in Medicaid costs over 10 years, according to Sen. Republican Judd Gregg.
He said he isn’t happy about the level of wheeling and dealing.
Judd Gregg was pretty much a guaranteed “No” vote, so his vote couldn’t be bought. Jeanne Shaheen was an early “Yes” vote, even before the final package was put together, so there was no need to woe her with special favors. Either way, you’ve got one Senator whose vote you like, and one whose vote you hate. But neither have them as embarrassed our state like Ben Nelson, Mary Landrieu, and Bernie Sanders’ questionable deals have embarrassed theirs throughout the health care debate.
Posted under Blog.
Tags: Adam Krauss, Foster's Daily Democrat, Health Care, Jeanne Shaheen, Judd Gregg







