XXXX Voted Against Transferring Home Health Benefits to Various Medicare Programs. In 1997, XXXX voted against transferring home health benefits from Medicare Part A to Medicare Part B. [Vote 127, 6/25/97] XXXX Voted to Increase Retirement Age to 67. In 1997, XXXX voted against a motion to waive the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to permit consideration of the Reed amendment to S.947, which was an amendment to eliminate the age increase from 65 to 67 for Medicare eligibility, remove the $5 co-payment for Medicare Part B home health care visits, and eliminate means testing of Medicare Part B premiums. [Vote 115, 6/25/97] XXXX Voted Against Delaying Means Testing. In 1997, XXXX voted against a motion to waive the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to permit consideration of the Kennedy amendment to S.947, which was an amendment to delay means testing under Medicare Part B until January of 2000. [Vote 114, 6/24/97] XXXX Voted Against Means Testing for Medicare Part B Premiums. In 1997, XXXX voted to kill the Kennedy amendment to S.947, which was an amendment to strike the section in the bill that introduces a means- based formula to determine insurance deductibles under Medicare Part B. More specifically, it started to phase out the subsidy for Medicare Part B premiums for single seniors earning $50,000 per year and married seniors earning a combined $75,000 per year. The subsidy would be completely eliminating for single seniors earning $100,000 or more annually and married seniors earning a combined $125,000 or more annually. [Vote 113, 6/24/97] XXXX Voted to Raise Eligibility Age of Medicare to 67Years of Age. In 1997, XXXX voted for a motion to waive the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to permit consideration of a provision to gradually raise the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 67 between 2003 and 2027. [Vote 112, 6/24/97] XXXX Voted to Require Medicare Co-Payments for Home Health Care Visits. In 1997, XXXX voted to kill the Kennedy amendment to S.947, which was an amendment to strike the section of S.947 that imposed a $5 co- payment for Medicare Part B home health care services for all recipients above the poverty line. Co-payments would be capped at $760 per year. [Vote 111, 6/24/97] XXXX Opposed Considering a Measure Allowing Disabled Children of Legal Immigrants to Receive Medicaid Benefits. In 1997, XXXX voted against considering an amendment that would have retained eligibility for the 30,000 disabled children of legal immigrants who received Medicaid benefits based on their receipt of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) welfare benefits (the welfare reform bill denied those benefits and other welfare benefits to legal immigrants). [Vote 118, 6/25/97] MEDICARE PART D Passage: XXXX Voted For Medicare Bill That Added Prescription Drug Coverage But Gave “Broad New Role” To Private Insurance Companies. In June 2003, XXXX voted for the Prescription Drug and Medicare Improvement Act of 2003, the Senate version of the bill that created a Medicare prescription drug benefit. [Vote 262, 6/27/03; AP, 6/27/03]  XXXX Voted to Kill an Amendment That Would Require “Fallback” Drug Coverage for Two-Years In Areas Not Served by Two Private Plans. In 2003, XXXX voted to kill an amendment that would require any federal “fallback” drug coverage plan used in an area not served by two private plans to allow those eligible to enter into two-year contracts. [Vote 238, 6/24/03]  XXXX Voted Against Requiring a Medicare Fallback Plan for Retirees That Lost Prescription Drug Coverage Because of New Medicare Benefit. In 2003, XXXX voted against an amendment to the prescription drug benefit bill. The amendment would require the Health and Human Services secretary to retain or designate one or more Medicare fallback plans for those retirees who had prescription drug coverage and lost it as a result of the enactment of the underlying bill. [Vote 259, 6/26/03] 163