Heller and Heck Mislead NV Seniors on GOP Budget

Las Vegas, NV – As part of Reps. Dean Heller and Joe Heck’s efforts to spin their way out of their reckless vote last week for the extreme GOP budget that would end Medicare as we know it, both are now falsely claiming the GOP budget plan will not affect seniors over the age of 55.  Last week, Heck said that the budget had, “no changes to those over 55.”  The Las Vegas Review Journal reported just yesterday that “Heller said Republicans want to maintain Medicare for older people…” [LVRJ, 4/20/11]

“Dean Heller and Joe Heck are not being honest with Nevadans about their votes for the extreme GOP budget last week,” said Zach Hudson, spokesperson for the Nevada State Democratic Party.  “The GOP budget plan would reopen the donut hole and result in over 26,000 Nevada seniors paying $15 million more alone in prescription drug costs next year.  This clearly affects Nevadans over the age of 55 and Heller and Heck are wrong to mislead them.  Their reckless pandering to the TEA Party would nearly double prescription drug costs for seniors and end Medicare as we know it, all so they can cut taxes for millionaires.”

Background:

House Republican Budget Dismantles Medicare. The budget proposal release today would dramatically change Medicare by turning it into a voucher based system and direct Medicare funds to private insurance companies instead of consumers. [House Republican Budget, accessed 4/5/11]

Costs Would Rise. Republican Budget Chairman Paul Ryan agreed that his plan for Medicare “would be to shift more of the burden of health care costs out of their own pockets to seniors.” [Fox News Sunday, 4/3/11]

Essentially End Medicare. “The plan would essentially end Medicare, which now pays most of the health-care bills for 48 million elderly and disabled Americans, as a program that directly pays those bills.” [Wall Street Journal, 4/4/11]