Inhofe, R-Tulsa, said that despite overwhelming opposition to the Medicare reform bill, he supported the measure because of the help it will bring to rural hospitals in Oklahoma.Specifically, he praised a provision in the bill that would increase the cap on Medical payments to Oklahoma's critical-access hospitals, which serve a large number of low-income Medicare and Medicaid patients, from 5.25 percent to 12 percent in 2004.
This just means Inhofe got his pork in up front, rather than waiting to be bribed with it. Bad legislation. Period. But I still generally support the administration.
I personally don't count it pork when you have rural hospitals that will close without this bill. I happen to live in Norman so it didn't affect me but a lot of our State is rural and those hospitals were going to close. It would have taken some people two hours or more to reach a hospital which could cost lives.
I agree with my Senator on that portion of the bill.
Thanks for your support!