WASHINGTON – Call it the health insurance companies and nursing homes versus doctors and the AARP, a classic, inside-the-Beltway struggle that erupted when House Democrats sought changes to Medicare.

Publicly, all sides trumpeted their concern for older people in the United States and scarcely mentioned their own financial and political self-interests, if at all.

Together, they have spent millions on lobbyists, television ads and polling to influence lawmakers. They stand ready to renew the battle this fall, all the while previewing possible lines of attack for the 2008 elections.

-“The bill preserves access for Medicare patients and lowers seniors’ out of pocket costs,” the American Medical Association and AARP said in ads endorsing the Democrats’ bill.

Not mentioned was that the legislation would put $65 billion more into doctors’ pockets over the next decade. Or that AARP, which has 39 million members over age 50, was eager to court favor with Democrats newly in control of the House.

-“Three million seniors could be pushed out of their Medicare Advantage plan, while millions more will have to pay higher out-of-pocket costs for health care and lose important benefits they depend on,” the American Health Insurance Plans countered in their ad opposing the bill.

Left unsaid was that the measure would cut $157 billion over a decade from planned payments to the companies that operate Medicare health maintenance organizations under the Medicare Advantage program.

-“Slashing billions could jeopardize quality, threaten thousands of health care jobs and return Medicare funding to levels of almost a decade ago,” two nursing home groups said in ads that angered top Democratic lawmakers.