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Hello,
Weekly
Healthcare Reform Update
Sen.
Finance Committee to vote Tuesday; Floor Action Next
On Tuesday, Oct. 13, the Senate Finance Committee will vote to approve its
version of healthcare reform, which includes Chairman Max Baucus' redrafted legislation
as amended during committee deliberations. The Congressional Budget Office
(CBO), the official scorekeeper of legislation, has tallied the cost of the
bill at $829 billion. This is less than the $900 billion that the president
and Baucus, D-Mont., were seeking. The bill also reduces the budget deficit
by $81 billion over 10 years.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., will meld this legislation with
the bill approved
in July by the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. The
combined version will then be sent to the CBO for an official cost estimate
necessary prior to consideration by the full Senate. Since the Constitution
mandates that legislation with tax revenues originate in the House, Sen.
Reid is expected to "call up" for consideration a House-passed
bill related to the AIG bailout and substitute the healthcare reform language
for that currently contained in the bailout measure.
Republicans are expected to object to consideration of the bill, forcing
Reid to file a cloture motion to cut off the filibuster and move to
consideration of healthcare reform by the full Senate. This will require 60
votes. If Sen. Reid succeeds, anywhere from hundreds to more than 1,000
amendments could be offered for consideration.
Since most observers believe that the majority of the re-crafted Senate
bill will be derived from the Finance bill, MGMA members will are
encouraged to communicate their concerns to their Senators in specific
areas. Chief among these is the failure of the Senate legislation to repeal
the Sustainable Growth Rate formula. In addition, the Finance bill only
provides a 0.5 percent Medicare payment increase in 2010 and then reverts
to massive cuts of approximately 25 percent in 2011 and beyond. The Finance
bill also contains problematic provisions previously identified by
MGMA related to punitive PQRI provisions and an independent Medicare rate
decision-making body, among others.
MGMA members should continue to use the Advocacy
Center to let their elected representatives know about these
concerns. A sample letter is provided for your use. MGMA also anticipates
favorable amendments to be offered to improve the bill for medical groups
during the Senate floor debate and will let members know how and when to
participate with grassroots messages through the MGMA Washington Connexion.
The House Democratic leadership has completed the preliminary task of
merging the three House bills from the relevant committees of jurisdiction
into one piece of legislation and has sent it to the CBO for scoring.
Significant disagreement between House Democrats continues regarding
provider reimbursement rates in the public option plan under discussion.
The leadership has included four separate rate proposals for CBO
consideration. The House does not anticipate floor action until after the
Senate has finished its work.
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Oct. 12, 2009
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Member Resources
Healthcare Reform Resource Center
Medicare Provider Enrollment Toolkit
Red Flags Rule Resource Center
Recovery Audit Contractors Resource Center
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