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Congress is once again being urged to reverse a cut to physicians' Medicare payments, prompting calls for a broader overhaul of how the program reimburses doctors. Congress is still stuck in an annual dance of being pressured to increase physician payments, even after Washington nearly a decade ago put an end to the despised "doc fix" that forced lawmakers to regularly forestall deep cuts. (Sullivan, 1/10)

Congress may need to pass a temporary government funding bill before a looming deadline to prevent a partial shutdown — even though leaders announced a spending deal over the weekend meant to keep the government open. Funding for roughly 20 percent of the federal government — including for essential programs such as some veterans assistance, and food and drug safety services — expires on Jan. 19, and money for the rest of the government runs out shortly after that, on Feb. 2. (Bogage, 1/9)

As the first of two deadlines to fund the federal government approaches Jan. 19, the Coalition to Protect America’s Health Care yesterday launched a television ad on network and cable news shows urging Congress to reject Medicare cuts to hospitals and health systems already pushed to the brink by broken supply chains, workforce shortages and high inflation. The Coalition, whose founding members include the AHA, also will resume running its recent ad highlighting how corporate insurers are driving up health care costs while too often denying essential care for patients who need it most. The Coalition will amplify the ads in digital campaigns. (1/8)