In Unusual Bipartisan Moment, House Leaders Reach Partial ‘Doc Fix’ Deal
Supporters of the measure, which is scheduled for a House vote next week and would end the annual battles surrounding scheduled Medicare doctor pay cuts, say it has a good chance of passing. But negotiators have not yet settled on a plan for paying for the measure and there could be trouble ahead in the Senate.
The Wall Street Journal:
Long-Sought ‘Doc Fix’ Funding Agreement Reached
House Republican and Democratic leaders Thursday rolled out legislation to permanently fix a formula for calculating Medicare reimbursements to doctors and other health-care providers, a deal supporters say will stand a chance of passage given its bipartisan support. The legislation, set for a floor vote next week, would replace the current formula, which was established by a 1997 budget law that tied pay increases for doctors and other providers to increases in economic growth. (Hughes, 3/19)
McClatchy:
House-Senate Lawmakers Unveil Bipartisan “Doc Fix” Bill
House and Senate leaders Thursday unveiled a bipartisan bill to end recurring pay cuts that doctors face under Medicare. ... The bill has bipartisan support but -- with the April 1 deadline looming -- it still has some significant hurdles to overcome. The measure is expected to cost more than $200 billion over 10 years. But lawmakers thus far have only figured out how to pay for $70 billion, which has raised concerns among conservative Republicans. Senate Democrats are concerned about a provision in the bill that extends the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for two years. CHIP is set to expire in September and Senate Democrats want it extended for four years. (Douglas, 3/19)
The Boston Globe:
Bipartisan Medicare Bill Would End Yearly Fixes
At least once a year, doctors and their elderly patients endure a hated ritual where lawmakers use the threat of deep cuts to physician payments as a political bargaining chip. Now, in a rare instance of bipartisan cooperation, House leaders aim to stop the practice, once and for all. (Meyers, 3/20)
Politico Pro:
So Far, House Conservatives Warming Up To Medicare Pay Fix
House conservatives seem to be warming up to the emerging deal to replace the universally hated Medicare SGR formula. The bipartisan bill outlining the policy details of what would replace the current Medicare physician pay formula was introduced Thursday, and it largely mirrors the language key health committees in the House and Senate approved last year. But the offsets to help pay for it — the most contentious details that have repeatedly stymied repeal efforts and resulted in lawmakers passing 17 temporary patches — have yet to be released, and could yet cause more controversy. (Mershon and Pradhana, 3/19)
The Associated Press:
House Medicare Deal Hits Senate Turbulence Over Abortion
An emerging bipartisan House deal changing how Medicare reimburses doctors ran into turbulence in the Senate Thursday over abortion, spotlighting a rare public disagreement between Congress' two top Democrats. Some Democratic senators — including Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. — expressed concern that the tentative House agreement would write restrictions on abortions at community health centers into law. The centers provide medical care for millions of low-income Americans in every state. (Fram, 3/20)
CQ Healthbeat:
Senate Democrats Resist Emerging 'Doc Fix' Deal
Senate Democrats are resisting the emerging House-negotiated deal to permanently replace Medicare’s physician payment formula less than two weeks before a patch averting cuts to doctors is set to expire. Ron Wyden of Oregon, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, was not among the cosponsors of a bill unveiled Thursday detailing the policy parameters to replace the sustainable growth rate formula, or SGR. The measure (HR 1470) does not contain other policies and offsets expected to be included in the deal to move the package through Congress. (Attias, 3/19)
And some physicians still have concerns -
Modern Healthcare:
SGR Fix Will Freeze Doc Salaries, Plastic Surgeons' Group Says
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is breaking from the pack of healthcare organizations that support a new plan to pass a permanent repeal of Medicare's sustainable growth-rate formula. Instead, the society is voicing its opposition to what it calls a 10-year pay freeze incorporated into the proposal. ... The bill's proposed fee updates of 0.5% annually for the first five years, followed by a 0% update for the following five years effectively freezes reimbursement rates for a decade, [Dr. Scot Glasberg, president of the society.] said. (Johnson, 3/19)
In other Medicare reimbursement news -
CQ Healthbeat:
Hospitals Press For Relief From Medicare Readmission Penalty
While pressing for relief from a penalty tied to readmission rates, hospital executives showed how the Medicare policy is spurring a deeper look at how some of the poorest Americans live. The American Hospital Association briefed congressional staff Thursday about its bid to change the penalty policy, which it is seeking to attach to a measure that designed to prevent a cut in Medicare payments to doctors. (Young, 3/19)