Key Dems clear one obstacle to health care bill

[JohnWxy]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON – Key Democrats have agreed on steps designed to cut the growth of Medicare, clearing one of numerous obstacles blocking early passage of health care legislation in the House.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the compromise marked a "giant step forward" on President Barack Obama's top domestic priority. But she and other leaders struggled without apparent success to ease the concerns of moderate and conservative Democrats who have held up progress on the bill for a week, and one key committee chairman suggested trying an end run around them.


WASHINGTON (AP) — Dissension within Democratic ranks over President Barack Obama's health care initiative all but paralyzed the House Friday, typifying just how many political land mines are littering the path to enactment.

The Obama White House figured on some pushback from congressional Republicans, but leaders of his own Democratic Party struggled to get things moving. A powerful House committee chairman threatened to force a floor vote to break the impasse within Democratic ranks — a drastic step that could roil the House.


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090724/ap_on_go_co/us_health_care_overhaul

[No Elephants]

1. Great. Step 1, throw the disabled and elderly under the bus, What's step 2?

[Soylent Brice]

2. torture them?

:shrug:

[JohnWxy]

3. not a nice way to refer to those who oppose health care for those who barely get it now, but

that's up to you.

If it makes you feel any better - I don't really hold much hope of seeing health care reform. Too much money riding on stopping it. Insurers do not want to give up any of those billions of dollars they are making off us.

I guess the Republican way of saving on health care is to continue to deny care (either to individuals or by refusing to pay for prodedures for those who thought they were insured!. LOL....uhhhh, why am I laughing.

[pinto]

4. Two studies, one on Medicare fee structures, the other on differences in reimbursement don't throw

anyone under the bus. They're geared to propose changes in how Medicare operates, not who it serves. Access is not part of the review. In fact, reimbursement adjustments could increase access to Medicare by enlisting more providers to accept Medicare reimbursement.

The first study looks at rewarding medical outcomes, effectiveness of health care, not just volume of services rendered. The other looks to making long overdue adjustments to the regional patchwork of reimbursement levels to health care providers.

Changes in fee structures - what Medicare will cover - are sure to be hotly reviewed and debated before enactment, targeted for 2012. There's room for disagreement here, obviously. And the devil is in the details, which are far from being proposed.

The reimbursement adjustments would seem a less contentious issue. It's been a long time since Medicare reviewed its reimbursement levels in respect to regional cost of living and cost of doing business. Best case scenario here is expanding access to rural regions, currently saddled with low reimbursement rates. Enactment is targeted for 2014.

(from the article cited)

Democratic officials in the House said late-night talks had produced agreement on changes in Medicare to try and reward doctors, hospitals and other providers for high-quality care. Critics argue the current system simply pays by volume — compensating providers regardless of whether additional medical procedures contribute to better health care.

Under the agreement, the Institute of Medicine would complete a study by September 2011 recommending changes in the current fee structure. The administration would have 45 days to submit the report to Congress, and it would go into effect unless Congress blocked it by the end of February 2012.

Separately, lawmakers agreed to call for a second study by the Institute of Medicine to investigate regional differences in payments to Medicare providers, to be implemented in 2014.

Officials said the two steps combined were designed to control the steady increase in Medicare costs, although they provided no immediate estimates of anticipated savings.

Obama has said repeatedly he wants legislation to control the cost of health care as well as to expand insurance coverage to millions who now lack it.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090724/ap_on_go_co/us_health_care_overhaul

Also, the studies would be conducted by the Institute of Medicine, a branch of the National Academy of Sciences, not Medicare staff.

Their Mission Statement:

The Institute of Medicine serves as adviser to the nation to improve health.

Established in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine provides independent, objective, evidence-based advice to policymakers, health professionals, the private sector, and the public. The mission of the Institute of Medicine embraces the health of people everywhere.

http://www.iom.edu/

Their membership roster:

http://www.iom.edu/CMS/2951/16476.aspx?browseby=Last+Name&filterby=a

[WriteDown]

5. Its obvious...

the poor.