Enzi Amendment to Prohibit Health Care Rationing in Senate Plan Fails

The text of the amendment that was voted down on party lines in the U.S. Senate HELP Committee, states:

 

            “The Center shall not develop Quality-Adjusted Live Year measures or any other methodologies for the denial of Medicare benefits to patients against their wishes (or if the patient is incompetent, against the wishes of the patient’s surrogate) on the basis of the patient’s age or expected length of life or of the patients present or predicted disability, degree of medical dependency or quality of life.”

To view the text of the Enzi amendment, click here.  The purpose of the amendment and the roll call vote in the U.S. Senate HELP Committee is below:

 

Purpose: To prohibit the development of healthcare rationing methods.

 

Not Agreed to (13-10)

 

Republicans:

Enzi- Aye

Gregg- Aye

Alexander- Aye

Burr- Aye

Isakson- Aye

McCain- Aye

Hatch- Aye

Murkowski- Aye

Coburn- Aye

Roberts- Aye

 

Democrats:

Kennedy- Nay

Dodd- Nay

Harkin- Nay

Mikulski- Nay

Bingaman- Nay

Murray- Nay

Reed- Nay

Sanders- Nay

Brown- Nay

Casey- Nay

Hagan- Nay

Merkley- Nay

Whitehouse- Nay