During the first debate regarding the Senate health care bill, Democrats have successfully defended their plan of having more than $400 billion in Medicare cuts. Democrats argued that the cuts, totaling $464 billion over 10 years, would not affect the basic services provided by Medicare. Instead, this would prevent insurance companies and hospitals from charging too much for the level of service they are offering.

Republicans oppose this plan and said that the cuts would affect care for senior.  Sen. Tom Coburn, Oklahoma Republican and a doctor, explained that physicians will probably respond slower.

“I know what goes on inside a hospital. When you cut $130 billion out of the hospitals, the time you’re going to wait between the time you push your call button is going to get extended,” he said. “The complications from that are going to result in decreased quality of care and shortened life expectancies.”

With all the votes in, 100 senators selected a reform that encourages the government to protect Medicare and not reduce the program’s basic guaranteed benefits. Republicans now have pledged to re-emerge with more amendments on Medicare, including trying to eliminate the bill’s cuts to payments to hospitals, hospices and nursing homes.