USA Today (12/10, Fritze) reports, "Hospital and doctor groups that have generally supported the effort to revamp the nation's healthcare system pushed back Wednesday against a new idea proposed by Democratic leaders to let younger Americans buy into Medicare." This "outcry from the medical groups underscored the difficulty lawmakers are facing as they look for compromises that can win broad support for the Senate's 10-year, $848 billion bill." With "many details" not yet announced, "the American Hospital Association and the American Medical Association pounced on a proposal to expand the seniors program because doctors receive less from Medicare than from private insurance for the same procedure."

        The Washington Post (12/10, Murray, Montgomery) also notes that "industry groups representing doctors and hospitals attacked one of the alternatives in the deal, designed to take the place of a proposed government-run insurance program, in the hours after Senate leaders announced it Tuesday night."

        NPR /Kaiser Health News (12/10, Appleby, Carey) reports, "Lobbyists for providers and insurers immediately criticized the buy-in proposal, saying that Medicare already doesn't pay enough. Adding more people would only compel hospitals, doctors, and others to increase charges to private insurers and employers to make up the difference, they warned." Commenting on the proposal, John Rother, AARP's director of legislation and public policy, said, "Medicare is the most popular health plan out there, and the idea that it might be expanded is intriguing. ... But, whether we could support it or not would depend on all these (as yet not spelled out) details that are quite consequential for the future of the program."

        Bloomberg News (12/10, Gaouette, Jensen) points out that "with too many changes, Democrats risk losing the support of industry groups that say they support" health reform; and "few have forgotten how the industry-supported 'Harry and Louise' advertising campaign helped doom" the 1994 effort.

        Healthcare companies said to be wary of Senate reform bill. The Wall Street Journal (12/10, Johnson, Rockoff, subscription required) reports on the response Wednesday from healthcare companies to the most recent formulation of the Senate's healthcare reform bill. The Journal characterizes many companies as worried. Insurance companies seem concerned that expanding Medicare may drive up costs, while drug makers worry the expansion would increase the numbers of patients paying lower prices for their drugs.

        Liberal groups slam deal to expand Medicare. Roll Call (12/10, Roth, subscription required) reports, "Liberal groups that have bankrolled much of the media campaign defending the Democrats' health reform efforts reacted angrily Wednesday to reports that Senate Democrats may ditch, or significantly shrink, a public insurance option to win over moderates." For instance, Ilyse Hogue, a spokeswoman for MoveOn.org, "which has spent millions of dollars this year promoting legislation and attacking critics," stated, "We don't think it is a compromise. It is a cave-in." Similarly, "an official with Health Care for America Now...said the Medicare buy-in and government-administered private program were not sufficient substitutes for the public option available to all age groups."

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