Again one of those days with little "local" political news. WE voters find the silence of one slate to be overwhelming.Those who cam offer any explanations of past errors or programs for the future are trusting that they can ride on the coattails of national party figures who seem to be making a successful push to reelect Corzine.
However in DC there have been developments in the Health Care Reform. For the present the Admiistration has taken a low ball position. But in the Senate a voter on Wednesday resulted in a major party defeat.
The present medicare law calls for a 20% reduction in physician reimbursements followed by 5% annually. With many primary docs unhappy with their present reimbursement with greater decreases any have to drop out of participation. Since one of the alternate "Public Option" plans calls for tying payments to the Medicare formula the likelihood of a boycott by MDs is a certainty.
To remedy this problem the Democrats proposed a separate bill to void the proposed Medicare cuts and even raise some payments where there were gross inequities. In order not to effect the dollar limit place on HC reform this was to be a separate action without a provision for raising funds. Instead there was supposed too be some witchcraft formula that claimed the dollars needed would come from other savings.
60 votes in the Senate was needed to pas this bill. However at least 13 Democrats voted against the bill which failed by a 57:43 vote. The objection was the lack of a funding provision.
Meanwhile in the House Pelossi is trying to pass a bill with a public option provision tied to medicare, claiming to have over 200 votes of the 216 needed.
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no good Doc. We do not care about that. Stay focused. Local. That is what we want. local. Stay focused. CFO-Gate only. Got it?
ReplyDelete7:42, We should care be cause what finally emerges from Washington has the potential to alter our lives health-wise and economically. No one will be untouched and we may ultimately turn to a solcialist type state. I tyhink we have to go back into history to determine what is best for the people. overwhelming regulation of every day life or free enterprise with its potential oligarchic governments.
ReplyDelete@Doc, we are in the proverbial "catch 22". We want to lower Medical Premiums, the question is how? Typical Free Enterprise industry tactic wants us to blame the Union (us) or the doctors to keep us distracted as they rob us blind.
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