No Breakthrough In Talks But Bipartisan Panel Close To Agreement On Medicare Savings

WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of senators agreed tentatively Tuesday on a plan to squeeze an additional $35 billion out of Medicare over the next decade and larger sums in the years beyond, according to congressional officials, a step toward fulfilling President Barack Obama's goal of curbing the growth of health care spending.

Under the plan, an independent commission would be empowered to recommend changes in Medicare annually, to take effect automatically unless Congress enacted an alternative. In addition to saving money, the proposal is aimed at turning the program for those age 65 and over into one that more clearly rewards quality, officials said.

The commission would be required to recommend $35 billion in savings over a decade from Medicare. There was no immediate estimate on the longer-term effects of the provision, the topic of exhaustive discussion among three Democrats and three Republicans groping for a compromise on legislation atop the administration's domestic agenda. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity, saying they were not authorized to discuss details of the private talks.

The negotiations occurred as White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel spent much of his day in the Capitol attempting to untangle a dispute that has stalled a companion bill in the House.

Progress has been blocked by a group of conservative-to-moderate Democrats seeking to exempt additional businesses from a requirement to offer insurance under the bill, and to alter the rules governing a government insurance option, among other changes.

"The legislative process is about give and take," Rep. Mike Ross, D-Ark., a leader of the Democratic critics, said during a break in the talks. "There could be a breakthrough in the next few hours and then again there may not be."

There was no breakthrough, and the talks ended around 9:30 p.m. EDT with no agreement except to meet again Wednesday.

The White House and Democratic leaders originally set deadlines of votes in the House and Senate on health care legislation before lawmakers leave the Capitol for a monthlong summer vacation. While Speaker Nancy Pelosi has yet to publicly abandon that timetable for the House, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid did so last week, and it appears the earliest either house can vote is in September.

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Obama is seeking legislation to extend health insurance to millions who lack it, at the same time he has asked lawmakers to slow the growth in the skyrocketing cost of medical care overall.

When it appeared more than a week ago that the House bill would fall short on cost-cutting, Obama called on lawmakers to relinquish some of the control they now exercise over setting payments to hospitals and other health care providers under Medicare.

Most of the variations under discussion have called for creation of a commission to issue annual recommendations for savings that would go into effect automatically unless the House and Senate blocked them. Currently, Congress must vote affirmatively to make any changes, a system that encourages individual lawmakers to seek favorable treatment for constituents or businesses in their districts or states.

Any bipartisan compromise that emerges from the negotiations is also expected to include a number of cutbacks in planned payments to hospitals and other Medicare providers, totaling hundreds of billions of dollars.

The bipartisan group is attempting to complete work in time for the Senate Finance Committee to vote on legislation next week.

While the lawmakers involved have devoted weeks to the talks, there is no guarantee that any agreement would survive scrutiny in the full Senate. There, Democrats control 60 seats, and liberals, in particular, are expected to seek major changes.

Both bills under discussion would require insurance companies to offer insurance to all comers, and bar them from raising premiums on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions.

The bills provide federal subsidies to help lower-income individuals and families purchase insurance.

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Associated Press writer Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar contributed to this story.

Comments

[flossophy]

Why does Rahm always have his hand on his face? Is he hiding something?

[expired]

Here's the Blue Dog Dem's email address: mail.house.govouse.gov

Who are the "people" that are telling them to slow this down? This is krap and they know its krap!

Please write them and let them know we're on to them. Please pass this email address on and/or keep it at the top of this thread for others to follow.

Many thanks!

[Lavina]

We want Medicare saved !!!! Unnecessary military spending, unnecessary war and invading our privacy, and taking away our rights, are what we don't want.

[einstein10]

President Obama's own family physician for the last 22 years, Dr. David Scheiner IN HIS OWN WORDS:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wsPZsEYuok

[gditty]

It's like letting a fox in on a conversation about the best way to build the hen house...

[LeftLeanWing]

He's an advocate for the single payer system....

[expired]

Check this out!!!

A public rally for health care reform in DC

http://www.democrats.com/node/19877

[betty22]

if Medicare is going broke..why trust them with goverment health care???????

[abby4ever]

New main

[abby4ever]

t e s t i n g

[take10]

Arnold is going to fix things in California by not allowing poor children to receive medical care, and Blue dog democrats will fix things in Washington by removing the elderly poor from Medicare to which they have contributed over their years of employment. Seems like they are interested in population control by allowing the young to die off early and the elderly to disappear by medical default. Americans are required to pay into Medicare via automatic deductions from each pay period. Congress is taking lessons from the insurance industry, which collects premiums and then refuses to pay when the insured get ill. Why not do away with SSI for people who never contributed a dime? No matter what congress decides, the President should not sign any bill if it doesn't call for single payer health care! The church has become so involved in state affairs that it should be removed from tax exempt status. This alone would pay for health insurance for all Americans. Instead we award the church with more tax dollars disguised as faith based initiatives, by-passing the rule governing the separation of church and state. Democrat or republican, they claim to be Christian but are willing to fore go the teachings of the Bible that caring for the least of us is a tenet not to be overlooked!

[willt7311]

If you want France's Health Care system then you are going to have to agree to pay the same tax rate. And that includes local, federal, and VAT.

[Peacein09]

Medicare reimbursements are already so low that many doctors won't accept Medicare. Medicare has cut reimbursement rates for many companies serving people in their home. Patients with respiratory illnesses are particularly hard hit by new Medicare regulations. Has healthcare reform become healthcare cost reduction? No hope for the over 47 million who have no health insurance. Expand Medicare and Medicaid senators to include people who cannot obtain coverage either because they can't afford it or because they have a pre-existing condition. Then stop borrowing from Social Security and Medicare to pay for war and destruction all over the planet.

[sueinmn]

And why?? Because they allowed "for profit" in there to negotiate what they will take over and this is where it went wrong.

[Chaimirija]

I think you mean Medicaid. Physicians accept Medicare because so many of their patients have it. Now, think about this: the last I read of the PO, it was only going to pay 5% over what Medicare pays...and of course, physicians do not have to accept it. If physicians don't like Medicare, why would they like that deal?

[naschkatze]

You are wrong. Many doctors will not accept Medicare patients. It's not only the reimbursement but also the paper work.

[JustJoy7]

We the people can sign every petition out there, but the bottom line is they just toss these petitions in the trash somewhere. They know it makes us feel good to try, but POLITICIANS are going to do what POLITICIANS want to do for THEIR benefit and wallets, not what the American people want. It's the political racket. All they want from the people is for us to listen to their campaign lies and put them in office. After that, we can go to hell for all they care.

[cripes]

"The legislative process is about give and take,"
Well we know who is on the bottom!
They give and we take...

[naschkatze]

More like, it's the lord giveth, and the lord taketh away.

[Elvin Frantz]

Most of the money needed for a Single-payer system would be collected from individuals via. Internal Revenue as part of our income tax. We save because we use a collection system already set up. The U.S. government allocates it out to individual states or localities as needed. Keep it simple and put as much of the administration as possible in the hands of local states and other local groups.

[sueinmn]

States could not distribute fairly as red states believe different than blue states when it comes to rights and care of the population. A federal program expanded off Medicare would be best and already set up. Paying for it as you state would work for all.

[Chaimirija]

Feds already distribute money for medicaid to help states. guess which states get more money?

[schoolmaster]

ok