Jan 18 2010
The Wall Street Journal: "In the nation's capital, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is on the brink of pushing through a national health program that Democrats rank alongside the creation of Social Security and Medicare.
In Nevada, that very achievement is imperiling his re-election prospects." On a recent visit to Las Vegas, Reid "faced a series of hecklers" in a "largely friendly audience." His "plight reflects that of his fellow Democrats. The party is anticipating what it sees as a once-in-a-generation win on health care. But some members of the caucus are taking hits for it. The Democrats are bracing for losses in November, especially since two Democratic senators, Chris Dodd of Connecticut and Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, aren't seeking re-election. Mr. Reid, 70 years old, is faring worse than most of his colleagues. Besides taking flak from some over health care, he hails from a relatively conservative state with a tough economy" (Bendavid, 1/13).
 This article was reprinted from khn.org with permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent news service, is a program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health care policy research organization unaffiliated with Kaiser Permanente.
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Without Medicare Part B’s shield, patient’s family owes $81,000 for a single air-ambulance flight