Oct 12 2011
The New York Times reports that both parties are calling for a window into the deficit-reduction panel's deliberations. Meanwhile, Politico Pro offers scenarios regarding how the committee could potentially address Medicare's "doc-fix" issue.
The New York Times: Many In Both Parties Want A Window Into The Deficit Reduction Panel's Work
On one crucial point, a powerful Congressional committee seeking ways to reduce the federal budget deficit has managed to produce a rare bipartisan consensus: Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives in and out of Congress say the panel is doing too much of its work in secret. Moreover, they say, the secrecy could make it more difficult for the 12-member panel to win acceptance for its recommendations from the public and from other members of Congress (Pear, 10/10).
Politico Pro: Three Super Committee 'Doc Fix' Scenarios
Trying to figure out the congressional debt reduction committee's next steps has become something of a Washington parlor game. The lack of detail, coupled with a quickly approaching deadline - the members must have legislation to the Congressional Budget Office by early November to meet the Thanksgiving target - has the typically clued-in health care lobbying world in a defensive crouch. Physician groups are no different. Doctors will see a 30 percent cut in Medicare reimbursement in 2012 if Congress fails to intervene. It's a near certainty that Congress will hold cuts that deep at bay. But what isn't clear is how - or for how long (Dobias, 10/11).
 This article was reprinted from kaiserhealthnews.org with permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent news service, is a program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health care policy research organization unaffiliated with Kaiser Permanente.
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