Background on McCollum: Cutting Medicare, Aiding HMOs And Big Insurers

McCollum: Cutting Medicare, Aiding HMOs and Big Insurers

During his 20 years in Washington, Bill McCollum voted to cut billions of dollars from Medicare. He voted to cut Medicare in 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996 and 1997. Bill McCollum voted with the insurance companies and drug companies against a real Patient’s Bill of Rights. He wanted to protect nursing homes that hurt seniors from being held accountable through the court system. McCollum spent his 20 years in Washington fighting for the drug companies. He opposed competition in the allergy drug market, costing Americans $11 billion. He supported insurance- and drug-company backed legislation to make prescription drug coverage optional, and he supported privatizing Medicare. McCollum chaired a coalition of big businesses to lobby for changes to health care system that would benefit them by limiting treatments insurance companies would cover. He tried to protect companies that defraud Medicare and the taxpayers.

Voted to Cut Billions from Medicare

During his 20 years in Washington, Bill McCollum voted to cut billions of dollars from Medicare. He voted to cut Medicare in 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996 and 1997.

McCollum Voted to Cut $3.2 Billion From Medicare Spending in 1990. In 1990 McCollum voted for a Kasich substitute amendment to the fiscal 1991 Budget Resolution that included a $3.2 billion cut in Medicare spending. [HConRes310, Roll Call Vote 84, 4/26/90; Rejected 106-305]

McCollum Voted to Cut Medicare by $27.2 Billion Over Five Years in 1991. In 1991 McCollum voted for a Kasich substitute amendment to Fiscal 1992 Budget Resolution that included Medicare cuts of $27.2 billion over five years. [HConRes121, Roll Call Vote 69, 4/17/91; Rejected 114-303]

McCollum Was One of Only 89 House Members Who Voted to Cut Medicare by $25.2 Billion Over Five Years in 1991. In 1991 McCollum voted for a Gradison substitute amendment to Fiscal 1992 Budget Resolution that included Medicare cuts of $25.2 billion over five years. [HConRes121, Roll Call Vote 70, 4/17/91; Rejected 89-335]

McCollum Was One of Only 60 House Members Who Voted to Cut $138.5 Billion From Medicare, Medicaid Over Five Years in 1992. In 1992 McCollum was one of only 60 members of the United States House of Representatives to vote for a Dannemeyer substitute amendment to the Fiscal Year 1993 Budget Resolution that included $138.4 billion in cuts to Medicare and Medicaid programs over five years. [HConRes287, Roll Call Vote 38, 3/4/92; Rejected 60-344]

McCollum Voted to Cut $34 Billion From Medicare in 1993. In 1993, McCollum voted for a bi-partisan Penny-Kasich amendment to a 1993 spending cut resolution that included $34 billion in Medicare cuts. [HR3400, Roll Call Vote 609, 11/22/93; Rejected 213-219]

McCollum Voted for $270 Billion Medicare Cut in 1995. In 1995 McCollum voted for House adoption of the 1995 Budget Reconciliation Act that included a $270 billion cut from Medicare. [HR2491, Roll Call Vote 742, 10/26/95; Adopted 227-203]

McCollum Voted to Cut $158.1 Billion in Medicare Over Six Years in 1996. In 1996 McCollum voted for adoption of the Fiscal 1997 Budget Resolution Conference Report that included $158.1 billion in Medicare spending cuts over six years. [HR2425, Roll Call Vote 731, 10/19/95; Adopted 231-201]

McCollum Voted For $115 Billion Reduction in Medicare in 1997. In 1997 McCollum voted for adoption of the Fiscal 1998 Budget Reconciliation Act that included a $115 billion reduction in Medicare. [HR2015, Roll Call Vote 241, 6/25/97; Adopted 270-162]

Against Patients Bill of Rights, For Protecting Businesses from Accountability

McCollum Voted Against Real, Comprehensive Patient’s Bill of Rights. In 1998, McCollum voted against a Dingell substitute amendment to the Republican version of the Patient Protection Act that would have enacted a comprehensive patient’s bill of rights that included doctor choice, access to OB-GYN’s as a primary care physician under plans, eliminated doctor gag rule to allow free communications between physician and patient, notify patient’s of changes in drug formulary, prohibited restriction on hospital length of stay and amended ERISA to allow for recovery of damages under state laws. [HR4250, 105th Congress, Roll Call Vote 336]

McCollum Voted for Severely Watered Down Republican Version of Patients Bill of Rights. In 1998, McCollum voted for HR4250 proposed by Republican Gingrich called “The Patient Protection Act of 1998.” The bill was a severely watered down version to Dingell’s plan. It would have prohibited plans from imposing restrictions on their doctors for advice provided to a patient; requiring plans to cover emergencies; requiring plans to have OB-GYN’s to provide access without primary care physician referral; allowing pediatric specialists as primary care physician; notify patient’s of changes in drug formulary, calls for external review and the granting of civil penalties and attorney’s fees if a plans external review recommends coverage and the plan does not provide the benefit thereafter, created Small Business Affordable Health Care Act of 1998 and placed caps of damages, established statute of limitations and other anti-consumer changes to medical malpractice law. [105th Congress, Roll Call Vote 339, HR4250]

McCollum Advocated Limits on Malpractice Lawsuits Against Nursing Homes. McCollum, who voted for the 1997 Balanced Budget Act that cut Medicare reimbursements, said astronomical lawsuits against nursing homes were the problem. He advocated placing limits on the amounts awarded in malpractice lawsuits against nursing homes. [Orlando Sentinel, 7/7/00]

On Side of Drug, Insurance, HMOs in Health Care Fight

McCollum Sponsored Legislation Blocking Introduction of Competitors to Allergy Drug Claritin, Forcing Americans to Pay $11 Billion More. McCollum co-sponsored a bill advocated by drug giant Schering-Plough to block less-costly competitors to its allergy drug Claritin and seven other drugs, used mostly by seniors. “The bill, which would extend the patents on the drugs for three years, is a national disaster for 45 million uninsured Americans, including 15 million seniors, who pay the highest prices for drugs out of their own pockets,” said Tracie Onbashian in a South Florida Sun-Sentinel op/ed. “According to the University of Minnesota, the bill would force Americans to pay $11 billion too much for medicine…The most likely reason members of the Florida delegation are supporting Schering-Plough is cold, hard cash. The company spent over $4 million on lobbyists and political contributions to push its bill in Congress.” [South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 1/17/00]

McCollum’s Prescription Drug Plan Emphasized Insurance Industry. McCollum has voted for a GOP-favored prescription drug plan that would have subsidized voluntary coverage by insurance companies. [Tampa Tribune, 7/7/00]

McCollum Supported Moves to Privatize Medicare. Addressing Medicare reform in 2000, McCollum said he voted for a bill that would have created a “public-private” partnership to encourage insurance companies to offer health-insurance policies with prescription-drug coverage. The program he supported would have replaced Medicare with a federal guarantee that the insurance companies wouldn’t lose money. “I think it’s a good plan,” he said. “I believe this is one that provides the best of all worlds.” At the time, thousands of elderly residents throughout Florida had lost their Medicare HMOs after insurance companies stopped providing the coverage, a problem expected to worsen. [Orlando Sentinel, 7/7/00]

McCollum-Chaired Healthy Florida Foundation is Coalition of Big Businesses and Insurance Companies. The Healthy Florida Foundation, chaired by McCollum, is a coalition of major businesses and health-care providers. The Healthy Florida Foundation includes Gulf Power Company, the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Eckerd Corporation, Walt Disney World and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida. [Tallahassee Democrat, 12/18/03]

McCollum Chaired Group That Recommended Limiting Treatments Health Insurers are Required to Cover as a Means of Reducing Costs. The Healthy Florida Foundation, chaired by McCollum suggested limiting treatments health insurers are required to cover as a means of reducing costs. “Limiting what health plans are required to cover has been pushed for several years as a way to try and rein in the cost of health insurance,” according to the Associated Press. “But it’s highly controversial, with nearly every type of treatment having a constituency of people who need it and argue for mandatory coverage of it. Without a state requirement, many expensive treatments would never be covered leaving sick people with no way to pay for it, advocates say.” [Associated Press, 12/17/03]

McCollum Tried to Gut Law Outlawing Fraud Against Government, Empowering Whistleblowers. According to Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, McCollum’s “Health Care Claims Guidance Act” was “unconscionable” and an effort to “gut” the Fair Claims Act, which outlawed fraud against the government and empowered whistleblowers and the government to file suits against federal contractors to recover taxpayer losses, with the whistleblower getting a cut of any recovery. The Department of Justice said McCollum’s proposal would “fundamentally undermine our law-enforcement efforts to protect the integrity of the Medicare Trust Fund.” Critics noted that McCollum had recently taken $7,300 in health care contributions, including $3,000 from Columbia big-shots. [Orlando Sentinel, 8/2/98]

Republican Senator Grassley’s Floor Speech Laced with McCollum Criticism. Republican Senator Chuck Grassley laced into McCollum in a 1998 floor speech after McCollum filed a bill that critics said would have made it harder for the Justice Department to pursue fraud complaints that run into the billions of dollars each year, and which had been blamed for higher Medicare premiums. In his speech, Grassley said he was “dismayed” that McCollum filed his bill even after the Justice Department agreed to fine-tune the law in response to industry complaints. “Even more amazing, Congressman McCollum, it is reported, still plans to move forward with this bill that would gut the False Claims Act,” Grassley said at the time. “Consequently, the False Claims Acct is, and will remain, a target of those industries that accept billions and billions of taxpayer dollars annually and balk at strict accountability.” [Miami Herald, 9/26/00]

Tampa Tribune Editorial: Had McCollum’s Legislation Passed Columbia/HCA Healthcare Would Have Avoided $745 Million Settlement. An October 2000 Tampa Tribune editorial noted that during his time in Congress, McCollum introduced a bill that would have watered down the federal False Claims Act that rewards and protects whistleblowers who document fraud in government billings. Had his questionable legislation passed, Columbia/HCA Healthcare could have avoided a $745 million settlement. [Tampa Tribune, 10/29/00]