Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
GOP Leaders Negotiate Budget Differences During Congressional Recess
Top Republican budget writers in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives were working over a two-week congressional recess to iron out differences between their budget plans passed last week, including ideas for changing Medicare. Aides said House Budget Committee Chairman Tom Price and his Senate counterpart, Mike Enzi, want Congress to approve a combined budget by April 15 - just three days after lawmakers return to Washington from their Easter and Passover break. (3/31)
The heretofore 鈥渄o-nothing鈥 Congress is on the cusp of becoming a 鈥渄id-something鈥 Congress, and Capitol Hill couldn鈥檛 more pleased with itself. As Congress prepared to leave Washington for a two-week Easter break, lawmakers celebrated a bipartisan deal that would end the dreaded yearly ritual known as the 鈥渄oc fix鈥 while extending popular federal health-care programs for low-income families. (DeBonis, 3/31)
And a Democrat introduces a bill for Medicare to cover hearing aids --
Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) has introduced legislation so that seniors can use their Medicare coverage to pay for hearing aids. The Michigan Democrat argued that allowing Medicare to cover hearing aids would help more seniors afford the devices. Digital hearing aids can cost around $4,000, while other hearing aids are priced at less than $1,000. (Marcos, 3/31)
