Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Who Voted Against It?
The Hill: The 37 Lawmakers Who Opposed Medicare Deal
Thirty-three Republicans and four Democrats opposed the Medicare bill negotiated by Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). The Republicans in opposition consisted of fiscal hawks who didn't want to vote for a measure that would add to the deficit. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the legislation would cost $214 billion over the next decade, with $73 billion of that total offset with spending cuts or new revenue. (Marcos, 3/26)
The Fiscal Times: Not Everyone Is Happy With Bipartisan Medicare Deal
A deal passed by the House of Representatives today with large margins from both parties would put an end to decades of last-minute patches to the Medicare payment system, a procedure that has happened so many times it gained its own nickname, the “Doc Fix.” Many are looking at the agreement, struck by House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), as a return to the way Congress used to do business. To some critics of the deal, though, that’s precisely the problem. (Garver, 3/26)
Connecticut Mirror: CT Senators Part Of ‘Doc Fix’ Hangup That Could Cut Medicare Fees
Fees paid to doctors who treat Medicare patients could drop sharply at the end of the month, the result of an impasse in the U.S. Senate over a bill that would prevent the 21 percent decline in payments. Connecticut's five House members voted Thursday for the legislation; but its Democratic senators, Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, aren’t sold on the bill, objecting to its anti-abortion language and how the legislation would extend a children's health program. (Radelat, 3/26)
