ABC’s Z. Byron Wolf reports:
The ongoing spat between Sens. Mitch McConnell, R-KY, and Max Baucus, D-Mont, on how insurers can contact Medicare enrollees about health reform legislation continued Thursday.
It's a convoluted story; for background, click HERE.
First, Republicans in the Senate sent a letter to the HHS pledging to block all HHS-covered Administration nominees – the biggest of these would be the Surgeon General – until HHS rescinds the CMS order to Medicare Advantage providers not to lobby enrollees on health reform legislation in Congress.
“Until your department rescinds its gag order and allows seniors to receive information about matters before Congress, we will not consent to time agreements on the confirmation of any nominees to your department or associated agencies,” Republican leaders wrote in the letter to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Thursday.
Then, late Thursday night came a tacit but clear response from Sen. Max Baucus, who requested the HHS investigation of Humana that started the tiff in the first place.
Rather than entreat HHS to rescind the “gag order” on insurer lobbying of Medicare Advantage enrollees, Baucus has dug in and scheduled a confirmation hearing for two HHS nominees, basically calling the bluff of Republicans.
The argument is over what Republicans are calling a “gag order” on Humana and other insurers against communicating with their Medicare enrollees about the health care reform legislation before Congress.
McConnell, whose state is home to Humana, had railed against the order in speeches on the Senate floor and Republicans have used the episode to criticize Democrats for clamping down on the first amendment.
Baucus had requested an HHS investigation into Humana for “misleading” Medicare Advantage enrollees with letters that on first glance appeared to be about current benefits offered by the insurer but were in fact an entreaty for the senior to lobby their Congressman.
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