Washington’s abuzz this week as Congress returns to begin its lame duck session and Republicans start laying the groundwork for the next Congress — including their much-talked-about promise to repeal or replace the Affordable Care Act.
Via Flickr Creative Commons user Fibonacci Blue
In the meantime, new and returning congressmen might want to take a look at the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform’s draft plan to reduce the deficit, issued by the two co-chairmen of the bipartisan commission. Health care is a big reason for runaway government spending, the co-chairmen said; however, they added that health reform might be an important mechanism for reducing those outlays.
Among the proposals was something near and dear to most physicians’ hearts: an overhaul of Medicare’s Sustainable Growth Rate.
But some veteran Congress-watchers said last week that the Commission’s proposals could easily go by the wayside. To hear what they have to say, check out this week’s podcast:
And look for next week’s installment, when we’ll bring you the best and the worst of this week’s Senate Finance Committee grilling of Don Berwick, the recess-appointed head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
— Alicia Ault (on Twitter @aliciaault)
