House GOP attacks Obama on Medicare Advantage cuts

The letter from the Republican leadership team is a sign the GOP will seize on the cuts and blame the administration, betting the issue will help the party in the midterm elections.

Politico: Republicans Press Obama On Medicare Insurance Cuts
House Republicans are blaming President Barack Obama for upcoming cuts to a popular Medicare insurance plan in an effort to open a new front in their battle against Obamacare. Top Republicans wrote to Obama on Thursday "to express deep concern about the impact of the cuts imposed by your health care law on the Medicare Advantage (MA) program and the recent action by CMS to fundamentally dismantle the Medicare prescription drug program." "These cuts, in addition to proposed rules issued by CMS, will force millions of American seniors to face higher health care costs or lose access to their doctor, health plan, lifesaving drugs, and the benefits they've come to rely on," the letter reads (Sherman and Haberkorn, 2/13).

Meanwhile, CQ HealthBeat looks at the imminent departure of the top health policy staffer on the Senate Finance Committee -

CQ HealthBeat: Wyden Seeks Stability On Finance Health Staff, But Schwartz Departing
Sen. Ron Wyden, the new chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, is aiming for stability in the panel's lineup of Democratic health aides. But the man in the top spot, David Schwartz, is planning to leave the committee as of March 7, according to lobbyists and other sources close to the committee (Reichard, 2/13).