A Time to Amend… the Policy & Practice Podcast

Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.)

From Washington, D.C.:

After a long summer of waiting, journalists, policy wonks, and the public can finally start poring over the details of the Senate Finance Committee’s version of health reform legislation. But the work is really just beginning for the committee’s chairman, Sen. Max Baucus (D.-Mont.), who this week will have to [...]

One Vote Down, Many to Go: The Policy & Practice Podcast

From Congressional hearings, press briefings, and related health care events around Washington, D.C.
Technical quirks caused us to miss our Monday post, but here, one day late, is your weekly installment of the Policy & Practice Podcast. Last week, a Senate committee passed its bill, the AMA unexpectedly weighed in, and the President added his two [...]

A billion here, a billion there: Soon you’re talking real money

From congressional hearings, press briefings, and assorted heath care events in Washington, D.C.
Pardon the paraphrase of the late Sen. Everett Dirksen (R-Ill.), the Grammy-winning orator who eventually lent his name to a Senate Office Building, but health reform last week focused on billions and billions of dollars. Where will they come from? How will we spend them? 
Want to [...]

Bipartisanship? Not so much

From the House Ways & Means Health Subcommittee hearing on the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission March report to Congress, Longworth House Office building.
Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) Commissioner Glenn Hackbarth found himself doing an Irish jig on St. Patrick’s Day Tuesday as he fielded requests, comments, and complaints from Democrats and Republicans on the Health Subcommittee that [...]