Posted on 03/19/2010 10:55:51 AM PDT by SmartInsight
Democrats are planning to introduce legislation later this spring that would permanently repeal annual Medicare cuts to doctors, but are warning lawmakers not to talk about it for fear that it will complicate their push to pass comprehensive health reform. The plans undercut the party's message that reform lowers the deficit, according to a memo obtained by POLITICO.
Democrats removed the so-called doc fix from the reform legislation last year because its $371-billion price tag would have made it impossible for Democrats to claim that their bill reduces the deficit. Republicans have argued for months that by stripping the doc fix from the bill, Democrats were playing a shell game.
“Most health staff are already aware that our health proposal does not contain a 'doc fix.' … The inclusion of a full SGR repeal would undermine reform’s budget neutrality. So again, do not allow yourself (or your boss) to get into a discussion of the details of CBO scores and textual narrative. Instead, focus only on the deficit reduction and number of Americans covered,†the memo, sent Thursday to Democratic staff, said
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
My God, when do we stop printing money?
MSNBC is now running a crawl saying (I’m paraphrasing) that the vote may be delayed beyond Sunday if the Dems can’t nail down 216. This is the first time I’ve seen this, interesting, do you think Nancy is starting to cover her rear?
Related:
Health-Care Bill Would Increase Taxes On Wages, Investments
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2474709/posts
No way, I can’t believe it! Shocked even... Well actually not really...
Rush has got to be all over this.
First I've seen that. Also just reported - Obama has called a mandatory meeting of Democrats for Sat. Why would this be needed - if they have the votes?
This leak may torpedo ObamaCare because it shows the Rats are lying about deficit reduction. The left the doc fix out because if they included it they would have had to raise the taxes in their ‘fix’ by a like amount to get it passed via reconciliation. That is why Obama was slithering all over the place when Bret Baier asked him specifically about that point.
No Blue Dog can go to his district now and claim this bill will reduce the deficit. They will be tarred and feathered if they try.
ie, when in doubt, LIE.
I soooo hate these people.
Exactly, especially on MSNBC.
When it’s all said and done ObamaCare is going to cost over 3 trillion dollars a year.
They know allot of the docs would quit or opt out of any government reimbursement. Docs can only give away so much charity care and medicaid, which is basically the same thing.
“My God, when do we stop printing money?”
When all we have time for is basic survival agriculture, except for our Revered Leaders.
Think of it- no war, no poverty, everyone equal, 100% employment, no harmful industry, no weapons, everyone singing Imagine every day...
"Chris Frates reports that Democrats won over the AMA and other groups with a promise to do the "doc fix" -- a widely-supported increase to Medicare reimbursement rates -- later this year.
The move is independent of the health care reform efforts and they're straining to keep it that way, because it would get in the way of the promise that the reform legislation cuts the deficit, and the memo Frates has makes that point rather explicitly:
The inclusion of a full SGR repeal would undermine reform’s budget neutrality. So again, do not allow yourself (or your boss) to get into a discussion of the details of CBO scores and textual narrative. Instead, focus only on the deficit reduction and number of Americans covered."
My DOC apparently didn’t get the memo. In a bad mood.
The republicans need to start demanding an up or down vote. If the deemoncrats are allowed string this mess out until after the elections, they will be able to vote without the pressure of the fear of losing their congressional seats. We must have this vote while we can still apply election that pressure to them.
They will drag this out as long as they have to in order to wear down the opposition and finally get to the point where they won’t have to worry about the elections any more. If it causes delays in other legislation they won’t care. When the democrats had power before they didn’t do anything then either.
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