Senior Senate Democratic aides say Democratic senators will oppose a potential bipartisan deal from the House to prevent cuts in physicians’ Medicare payments if it doesn’t finance a children’s health program for four years.
The aides spoke Sunday as House bargainers try to stave off a 21 percent reduction in doctors’ Medicare reimbursements scheduled for April 1. Negotiators want to craft an agreement annulling a 1997 formula that annually threatens deep cuts in those payments.
Lobbyists have said that as part of that package, bargainers have discussed providing money for the Children’s Health Insurance Program for two more years, which would cost around $5 billion. They say the overall measure would cost roughly $200 billion over 10 years.
The aides spoke on condition of anonymity to comment on private negotiations.
(AP)
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2 Responses
Both parties are ignoring that the constitutional prohibits any appropriation lasting more than two years.
The way Medicare rules are today, cutting physician’s fees and discouraging doctors from taking Medicare doesn’t make sense. Under today’s government regulations, everyone not fully employed and over 65 is expected to enroll in Medicare with Medicare being the primary insurance with total disregard for the person’s other available insurance.
People with pension plans that would otherwise have supplied private insurance are forced out of that insurance onto Medicare.
By lowering the fees, the more competent doctors who don’t need low paying patients won’t accept Medicare patients who are then forced to use less desired doctors.
Without a drastic change to Medicare rules, lowering fees just doesn’t make sense. You can’t say you must be on Medicare and then say we won’t pay!