Congress unlikely to do much about health care reform
As presidential candidates debate their health care proposals, Congressis “unlikely to pass any major health bill,” this year preferringinstead “a bite-sized approach,” Roll Call reports. Amongissues targeted by lawmakers this year are changes to Medicare rules,mental health parity, health care information technology, comparativeeffectiveness and approval of generic versions of biotechnology drugs. SenateFinance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and ranking member ChuckGrassley (R-Iowa) are planning to push an omnibus health bill in Aprilthat would contain Medicare legislation aiming to curb a 10% cut tophysician payments. Similar legislation was proposed last year by thecommittee, but it was killed by a presidential veto threat, accordingto Roll Call.
The package would further delay thephysician payment cut, implement quality-of-care measures for physicianreimbursements, create electronic prescribing rules and increaseregulation on marketing of Medicare Advantage plans, according to aBaucus aide. Roll Call reports that it likely wouldinclude provisions to increase public disclosure of gifts to physiciansfrom the pharmaceutical and medical device industries.
Thecommittee would like to curb the physician payment cuts for 18 months,at a cost of about $13 billion; however, the “package could be injeopardy because of pay-as-you-go budget rules,” according to Roll Call.Democrats have proposed reducing MA plan payments to offset the costs,but the White House and Republicans oppose such a move. Roll Call reports that Congress likely will back a six-month freeze as it did last year. The current delay ends on June 30.
Anotheroption, which would not be limited by pay/go rules, would be to addMedicare provisions to a second economic stimulus package. KarenIgnagni, president and CEO of America’s Health Insurance Plans, said that if a follow-up stimulus package is created, it likely would contain health care provisions.
Baucussaid, “It’s difficult to do anything major legislatively in an electionyear,” adding that the election will “suck the oxygen out of the debateon the Hill” (Langel, Roll Call, 3/9).