Senate compromise would expand Medicare

WASHINGTON, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- Liberal Democrats, in return for concessions on a public health insurance option, are pushing to expand Medicare and Medicaid and tighten insurance laws.

Changes pushed by the liberals would lower the age of eligibility for Medicare from 65 to 55 and would expand Medicaid to cover people with incomes up to 150 percent of the poverty level, from current bill language that would expand Medicaid to cover people with incomes up to 133 percent of the poverty level, The New York Times reported Tuesday.

A third proposal would require insurers to spend a specified share of premiums on clinical services and activities that would improve healthcare quality, the Times reported.

Under a possible compromise, the federal Office of Personnel Management would negotiate with insurance companies to offer national health plans to individuals, families and small businesses.

"The discussions are going in the right direction, moving away from a government-run plan," said Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., a centrist.

Liberals have maintained that a robust public plan was necessary to compete with private insurers, keep them honest and tamp down costs.

Republicans criticized the potential compromise language.

"It's an awful idea," said Senator Orrin G. Hatch, Republican of Utah. "It's the Democrats' way of introducing a single-payer healthcare system, run by the government."