Call Boozeman Right Away
He is going to be important in the Medicare fight and he looks like he could be a swing vote. (479) 725-0400 Lowell Arkansas
This Explains How and Why Medicare Will Live or Die
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/critical-for-understanding-medicare-s-fate
Boozman was already on our list of Medicare wobblers based on his office's responses to constituents. But Arkansas is also one of the poorest state's in the country. By various metrics, it's a state particularly reliant on programs like Medicare. So where does Boozman stand?
Boozman was first asked 'Are you supportive of efforts to do a major change to the Medicare system?'
Boozman: "It depends on the plan. certainly, I think it's fine to look in the sense, we have to do something to control costs. Because we don't have a plan and I am very much committed to doing all we can to protect and preserve Medicare ... I'm open to looking at protect and preserving, the question is how do you do that." Next question: 'Would you be comfortable with premium support?'
(This is a reference to the Ryan Phaseout plan, 'premium support' being vouchers to partially defray the cost of private insurance for seniors.)
Boozman: "Those are all things that ... there's going to be a lot of discussion. But in order to do something like that, in order to do a change, you're going to need presidential leadership. You're going to need the House and Senate working together, Democrats and Republicans. And then most importantly you're going to need people of America to buy into it. If we can come up with something like that, I'm supportive. But that's a lot of work."
This is key.