Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
House Bill To Revamp Medicare Payments To Doctors Making Progress On Capitol Hill
Reuters: Medicare Doctor Pay Fix Prospects Brighten In Congress
U.S. House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner said on Tuesday that prospects were good for passage of a permanent fix to Medicare's flawed doctor-pay formula, a move that would spare physicians from impending pay cuts. ... The plan's prospects brightened in the Senate, as well, when Democratic Leader Harry Reid said he would look at the bipartisan House proposal, which would change the way doctors are reimbursed for Medicare costs. It was introduced earlier on Tuesday by Boehner and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi. Last week, through a spokesman, Reid expressed opposition to abortion restrictions on community health centers in a draft of the proposal. (3/24)
The New York Times: Bipartisan Deal On Health Care Issues Hits A Snag Among Senate Democrats
The deal is as politically remarkable as it is substantive: a long-term plan to finance health care for older Americans, pay doctors who accept Medicare and extend popular health care programs for children and the poor. It was cobbled together by none other than House Speaker John A. Boehner and Representative Nancy Pelosi, the leader of House Democrats, who rarely agree on anything, with the apparent blessing of a majority of their respective members. (Steinhauer and Pear, 3/24)
The Hill: Dem Whip: Medicare Deal Will Pass
A $200 billion bipartisan deal preventing Medicare physician cuts and extending a popular children's healthcare program will become law in short order, the second-ranking House Democrat predicted Tuesday. Some lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are wary of the deal — liberals because of the erosion of some Medicare benefits and conservatives because much of the cost is not offset by changes elsewhere in the budget. (Lillis, 3/24)
The Associated Press: In Rare Deal, Boehner, Pelosi Tout Wins For Seniors, Doctors
An extraordinary bipartisan accord between House Speaker John Boehner and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is letting both parties exhale as they move toward ending the nagging annual threat of Medicare cuts to physicians. Yet each side is bragging about far more than that. For Boehner, R-Ohio, the package announced Tuesday lets him claim a rare if modest bipartisan pact to strengthen the finances of the costly Medicare health care program for seniors. (Fram, 3/25)
The Associated Press: Highlights Of Bipartisan House Plan On Medicare Doctor Fees
Highlights of the compromise released Tuesday by House Republican and Democratic leaders to permanently avoid yearly cuts in reimbursements for physicians treating Medicare patients. Cost figures were not released but are based on interviews with lawmakers, lobbyists and congressional staff. (3/24)
Bloomberg: Lawmakers Try To End 'Doc Fix' That Ain't Necessarily Broken
Maybe the “doc fix” shouldn’t be fixed. Pressured by the health-care industry, Congress is rushing to permanently raise pay for doctors who participate in Medicare. A new bill would replace the decade-long practice of funding periodic pay increases for physicians by cutting spending in other parts of the $622 billion program. This Washington rite is known as the doc fix. Overlooked, though, is the benefit of the regular legislative exercise to taxpayers. Each raise has to be paid for, forcing doctors, health-care lobbyists and patients to the table to negotiate ways to keep Medicare spending in check. (Wayne, 3/24)
McClatchy: Congress Tries To Fix Medicare ‘Doc Fix’ Before It Fixes To Leave Town
With deep pockets and huge memberships, politically influential physician organizations think they’re on the cusp of achieving something they’ve aggressively sought for years: a congressional cure for a Medicare payment system that regularly threatens to cut their fees. (Douglas, 3/24)
Politico Pro: Outright Opposition To SGR Bill Waning In Senate
Senate Democrats suggested Tuesday that they may not block the House’s deal to enact a permanent “doc fix” and extend the Children’s Health Insurance Program for two years. (Haberkorn, Pradhan and Mershon, 3/24)
The Associated Press: Uncertainty About Doctors' Pay Has Taken Toll On Medicare
New momentum for a lasting fix to Medicare's doctor-payment problem shows that lawmakers may finally be recognizing what has long bothered their constituents. Year after year, the threat of 20 percent payment cuts averted at the last minute has seemed a curious way to run a program that lives depend on. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 3/25)
CQ Healthbeat: Hospitals Win Relief From Audits Under 'Doc Fix' Deal
Hospitals are poised to get an additional six months of relief from certain audits related to short patient stays under the emerging "doc fix" deal to permanently replace Medicare's physician payment formula. The draft also contains a provision that would put on hold much of the work of recovery audit contractors, or RACs, until the end of September, extending a moratorium due to expire at the end of this month. (Young, 3/24)
