US Senate Democrats: Medicare ‘Buy-In’ Likely Scrapped – WSJ.com

DECEMBER 14, 2009, 8:16 P.M. ET

US Senate Democrats: Medicare ‘Buy-In’ Likely Scrapped

By Patrick Yoest

Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)–U.S. Senate Democrats appeared close to dropping a proposal to let people between 55 and 64 purchase health insurance coverage through Medicare, but they said they remain resolved to pass health-care overhaul legislation this year.

The Medicare “buy-in” is a key component of a compromise version of the Senate bill brokered by a group of 10 liberals and centrists organized by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.). But following a Monday night meeting of Senate Democrats, several lawmakers said they believed the proposal would not remain part of the larger bill.

“That’s what it sounded like to me,” said Sen. Evan Bayh (D., Ind.), when asked Monday if the Medicare “buy-in” proposal was dropped. “To use the old cliche, the general consensus was that we shouldn’t make the perfect the enemy of the good.”

Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I., Conn.), an independent who caucuses with Senate Democrats, in recent days has emerged as an obstacle to the Medicare buy-in. Lieberman’s vote could be needed for Senate Democratic leaders to secure the 60 votes needed to break a Republican filibuster of the bill.

via US Senate Democrats: Medicare ‘Buy-In’ Likely Scrapped – WSJ.com.