The 60 Plus Association, a conservative seniors group, launched a TV ad on Friday warning that President Obama's healthcare reform legislation will mean billion dollar cuts in Medicaid. 60 Plus is headed by Jim Martin, a former marine who served six years as chief of staff to a former Republican Senator, the late Edward Gurney.

The ad attacks Obama and Congress for asking seniors to sacrifice during the most vulnerable stage of life. The 500,000-member group spent upwards of $1.5 million on the TV spot that will run for a week on national cable.

Cutting Medicare funds to pay for healthcare reform, the ad cautions, means long waits for care, possible denial of care and letting the government, not your doctor, decide if older patients are worth the cost. (see full ad here)

The White House disputes the claim made by 60 Plus. "By reforming Medicare, we will add years to the life of the program's trust fund and improve the quality of care. With these reforms, we'll move toward a system where people get better care -- not just more care -- and where doctors and hospitals will be rewarded for spending time with patients and keeping them healthy," wrote a press aide in an email.

60 Plus spent $200,000 on federal lobbying in the first half of 2009. The group markets itself as the conservative alternative to AARP and specifically advocates for a free enterprise, less- government, less-taxes approach to seniors' issues.