Ahead of Senate vote, Ted Cruz & Co. stand athwart bipartisan ‘doc fix’

Washington Post ^ | April 14 at 4:20 PM | Mike DeBonis

[SoConPubbie]

The Senate is set to take up a bipartisan bill Tuesday that will permanently end the Medicare "doc fix," a yearly legislative headache on Capitol Hill, but some of the Senate's most conservative members are threatening to oppose the legislation crafted last month in the House, citing its price tag.

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Tuesday that he expected to bring the bill to the Senate floor later in the day, hours before Medicaid officials say they will implement a 21 percent cut to the rates it pays doctors treating Medicare patients. McConnell said there is "a bipartisan desire" to pass the bill before the midnight deadline.

Complicating passage is the opposition of several staunch Senate conservatives, including presidential candidate Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), who said in a statement Tuesday that any deal ending the "doc fix" should be "fully paid for and include significant and structural reforms to Medicare that provide seniors more power and control over their health care."

[Congress congratulates itself for the ‘doc fix’ deal, but can it happen again?]

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the House-passed bill would add $141 billion to federal budget deficits through 2025. But in the subsequent 10 years, the nonpartisan budget analysts said, "federal savings would increase rapidly."

The House legislation, forged through high-level bargaining between Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), passed 392 to 37.

But Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) said Monday he would insist on fully offsetting the $141 billion in net spending with other federal budget cuts. "I'm disappointed, frankly, that the House sent over a bill that was not paid for," he said. "It's not easy, but it's very doable."

Beyond the cost, Cruz said the legislation also does nothing to address his signature issue, dismantling the Affordable Care Act, and instead "institutionalizes and expands

[Monorprise]

“I didn’t forget the problems with Obamacare, but there are those who want to move on to Medicare, after Obamacare ... :-) ...”

I don’t agree with maintaining Medicare it should be privatized or at least an opt out option should be provided.

People should not be forced to subscribe to the “Good Judgement” of federal politicians in the management of their healthcare savings and financing choices. The same should be done with Social security for the same reason.

[Star Traveler]

People have been able to opt out of Medicare, when they are 65, and first able to get it. No one has to take it and pay the monthly premiums.

BUT ... I would advise people to be very careful about opting out ... :-) ...