Analyzing the politics and policies of the Wyden-Ryan Medicare plan

Politico reports on how the Medicare revamp proposal announced last week by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., may add to Ryan's conservative street cred. Meanwhile, Medscape reports on one of the cost controls included in the approach.  

Politico: Paul Ryan Gets Pass From The Right
House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan made his Republican colleagues vote on a risky Medicare overhaul plan this spring only to release a new, dialed-back plan with Sen. Ron Wyden last week. But he doesn't seem to have been hurt by his change of direction. In fact, Ryan's political standing among Republicans may be stronger now than it was before (Nather and Haberkorn, 12/20).

Medscape: Wyden-Ryan Medicare Plan Has SGR-Like Cost Brake
As lawmakers maneuver to avoid a 27.4 percent reduction in Medicare reimbursement to physicians, two Congressmen have introduced a plan to overhaul Medicare with the help of a familiar cost-control tool -; a spending target like the one that triggered the pay cut scheduled for January 1. The new Medicare spending target, however, could financially affect not only physicians but also seniors (Lowes, 12/20).