Health interest groups strategize to stop automatic cuts

Industry lobbyists hope the "shock value" of last week's White House report detailing the reach of the cuts will add momentum to efforts to persuade Congress to repeal the legislation before reductions start in January.

Politico Pro: Lobbyists Look Post-Nov. 6 On Cuts
Health industry lobbyists are hoping that the new report on the impact of next year's sequester will provide the "shock value" they need to preserve programs marked for steep cuts. Armed with fresh data supplied by the Obama administration last week, advocates for hospitals, health research and public health programs say they're ready to take the fight to Congress to prevent the automatic spending cuts mandated by last year's Budget Control Act. That law required $1.2 trillion in cuts over the next 10 years, split evenly between defense and non-defense government spending. Last week's White House report revealed that in addition to $11 billion in Medicare cuts, the National Institutes of Health would take a $2.5 billion hit and key public health programs would see cuts of more than 7 percent (Cheney, 9/17).

The Hill: Nursing Homes Launch Anti-Sequester Ads
Nursing homes are launching a new TV ad this week urging Congress to repeal automatic cuts to healthcare spending. The ad, set to run in Washington, D.C., during Congress's last scheduled week in session, urges Congress to repeal cuts in the much-maligned sequester, and avoid Medicaid cuts as part of an offset or larger debt-reduction agreement. The American Health Care Association, which represents nursing homes and other skilled nursing facilities, is sponsoring the 30-second spot. It features Beverly McKinney, who recovered in a skilled nursing facility after being hit by a car, telling the camera about her recovery, and says skilled nursing care would not be available if Congress slashes public programs (Baker, 9/17).