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Senior Citizen Politics
Medicare is Target for Change by Democrats and
Republicans in Weeks Ahead
Republicans may
revoke physician pay cut, Democrats HMO subsidy
 November 10, 2006 A flurry of activity impacting
Medicare is expected in the remaining days of the lame duck Republican
Congress and the early days of the new Democratic Congress. A major
battle is already shaping up over a powerful Democrats proposal that
Medicare stop subsidy payments to HMOs. The pay cut for physicians in
2007 that Medicare has declared looks likely to face a move by
Republicans to eliminate the cut or modify it, which may have Democratic
support.
 Capitol
Hill Watch: House Democrats Likely To Focus on Medicare HMO Payments
The "most immediate effect" of the Democrats'
takeover of the House might be a cut in payments to Medicare HMO plans,
the
Boston Globe
reports.
Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.), who is expected to
become chair of the House Ways and Means
Subcommittee on
Health, has said he wants to roll back the portion of the
2003 Medicare law that boosts payments to Medicare HMOs offered by
private insurance companies (Rowland, Boston Globe, 11/9).
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Senior Citizens Certain to See Lower Priced Drugs
with Democrat Wins
Other than Iraq War, senior issues may have been
most important to voters
By Tucker Sutherland, editor
 November 8, 2006 The results from yesterday's
election showing Democrats gaining control of the House of
Representatives and close to control of the Senate signals major changes
ahead that directly impact senior citizens. First, the price of
prescription drugs is going to go down. And this was the final nail in
the coffin that contains the private accounts proposed by President Bush
for Social Security. "Tonight we have made history; now let us make
progress," said House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi.
Read more...
Privatizing Medicare: The Train has Already Left the
Station
 By
The Center for Medicare Advocacy
October
25, 2006 - While the country debates the merits and concerns about
Social Security privatization, Medicare has been morphed into a set of
private plans with little attention or discussion. The private Medicare
train is already out of the station.
Read more...
Medicare Drug Program News
Pharmaceuticals Pour Millions into GOP
Races to Avoid Negotiating Prices with Medicare
Democrats promising negotiated drug prices in
Medicare like VA
October
25, 2006 It is not talked about much in the Congressional campaigns
but an issue that is having a major impact on the cash contributions in
key races is the question of allowing Medicare to negotiate better
prices on drugs with the pharmaceutical companies, as is done by the
Veterans Administration.
Read more...
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on
Politics for Senior Citizens |
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House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who
is expected to become House speaker, has said that within the first 100
hours after the House convenes, she will seek to pass legislation to
allow Medicare to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies for
discounts on prescription drugs.
Democrats also are "likely to propose changes to
Medicare price formulations for expensive injectible cancer drugs" and
might "revive debate over the issue of importing cheaper prescription
medicines from Canada and other countries," the
Newark Star-Ledger
reports (Todd, Newark Star-Ledger, 11/10).
According to CongressDaily, legislation by Rep.
Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) that "sets up a process for the
FDA to
approve generic versions of so-called biologic drugs now stands a
stronger chance of seeing House action."
Waxman also might "spotlight issues such as drug
safety and off-label marketing," according to CongressDaily (Vaughan,
CongressDaily, 11/10).
Industry Reaction
Charles Baker, CEO of
Harvard Pilgrim
Health Care, said that Medicare HMO payments approved in 2003
have bipartisan support. Baker said, "I wouldn't assume right out of the
gate there is going to be a dramatic change in status" (Boston Globe,
11/9).
Catherine Bennett, a partner for
Venable
and a pharmaceutical industry lobbyist, said that allowing the federal
government to directly negotiate Medicare drug prices "would just be
chilling."
Bennett said, "If the federal government is
suddenly setting the cost of your product, you might get short-term
savings in the Medicare program, but where do you get the money for the
next generation of innovative drugs?" (Vaughan, CongressDaily, 11/10).
Pharmaceutical
Research and Manufacturers of America spokesperson Ken
Johnson said, "Throughout the history of our country, price controls
have led to shortages and fewer choices by consumers. We don't believe
conservative or moderate Democrats want that to happen."
Johnson added, "We're going to be in a challenging
environment, but we're convinced our arguments will resonate with many
common-sense Democrats."
James Greenwood, president of the
Biotechnology
Industry Organization, said drug makers could benefit from
Democratic control in such areas as stem cell research.
Ira Loss, senior health care analyst at Washington
Analysis, said, "For investors in drug stocks, you better tighten your
seat belts. It's going to be a bumpy ride." Loss added that Democratic
senators from states with high concentrations of pharmaceutical and
biotech companies -- such as New Jersey and Massachusetts -- "are very
attuned to the fact of the jobs created by these industries."
Loss said, "Any legislation that might imperil the
companies might be watered down" (Newark Star-Ledger, 11/10).
Lame-Duck Session Physician Pay Cut by Medicare
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Medicare Final Rule Cuts Physician Pay Five Percent
for 2007
CMS says rule
encourages more physician-patient communication
 November 3, 2006 The 5.1 percent cut in pay for
physicians in 2007 proposed by Medicare has been reduced to something
closer to 5 percent, according to the final rule issued by the Centers
for Medicare & Medicaid Services this week. The war may not be over,
however, since the American Medical Association was still pressing
Congress to override the pay cut when they took their election recess.
(See AMA reaction in sidebar.)
Read more...
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on
Politics for Senior Citizens |
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In related news, the 109th Congress in its lame-duck session beginning
next week might consider legislation to revoke a cut to physician
Medicare reimbursements scheduled to go into effect in January 2007,
according to an aide to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.),
CongressDaily reports (Wodele et al., CongressDaily, 11/10).
One possibility is combining legislation addressing
Medicare reimbursements with tax relief legislation that is supported by
both parties (Abrams,
Washington Examiner,
11/10).
Frist and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.)
are working to "finish up as many spending measures as possible next
week," CongressDaily reports (Wodele et al., CongressDaily, 11/10).
Congress so far has passed only two of 11
appropriations bills -- defense and homeland security -- for fiscal year
2007, which began Oct. 1. Congress still must address all other domestic
programs, which have a combined budget of $460 billion.
Republican leaders in the House are "leaning
toward" passing a continuing resolution, which would fund federal
programs at 2006 budget levels into January 2007, the AP/Examiner
reports.
The Democrat-led 110th Congress then would have to
address those appropriations "at a time when they are ... trying to
launch action on their agenda," the AP/Examiner reports (AP/Washington
Examiner, 11/10).
President Bush on Thursday said he wants the 109th
Congress to finish FY 2007 appropriations instead of passing a long-term
continuing resolution. Reid on Thursday in a letter to Frist said
Democrats would cooperate with Republicans on appropriations and tax cut
legislation (Wodele et al., CongressDaily, 11/10).
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