Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
New Congress Faces Old Medicare Pay Issues
Congress is just two months away from yet another 鈥渄oc fix鈥 patch expiring, and the fast-approaching date is prompting a new round of conversations on permanently replacing the Medicare payment formula. (Haberkorn, 1/22)
The new Republican chairman of the Senate Budget Committee said Thursday that he'll try to pass a fiscal blueprint this spring that will promise a balanced budget by the end of 10 years. "We'll try and balance the budget in a 10-year period," Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., said on a conference call with reporters. "And we hope to do it without gimmicks and bad accounting." But Enzi wouldn't say what he hopes to do with special budget legislation that can overcome a Democratic filibuster in the Senate. Many conservatives hope to use unique filibuster-proof legislation permitted under the budget process to repeal the new health care law. (1/22)
U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) has called for a Senate hearing to address the failure of the Department of Veterans Affairs to stop improper prescribing practices at the Tomah VA Medical Center. (Fauber, 1/22)
