Reply #31: The update is at the FDL link!!!

[slipslidingaway]

not sure when the update was added, but the Huff Post piece was posted later in the evening and original FDL piece posted before noon.

And do cuts to providers trickle down to beneficiaries, one has to wonder.




"No one has fought harder than Chairman Baucus against the House proposal to that would end Medicare as we know it and increase costs for seniors by thousands of dollars," a Senate Finance Committee aide emailed The Huffington Post. "Senator Baucus continues to fight for Medicare and made clear at the hearing that no changes in Medicare will be made unless Republicans agree to use revenue – in addition to spending reductions – to reduce the deficit, and any Medicare changes or savings would build on the type of efficiencies made in the Affordable Care Act, while protecting guaranteed benefits for seniors."

While such an explanation won't likely be enough to calm the nerves of inherently anxious progressives, the idea that lawmakers will build on the "efficiencies of the Affordable Care Act" is a notable tell. During the crafting of that legislation, Democrats had tried to lower the type of payments that Medicare makes to medical device manufacturers. They got fairly close to doing so, only to be told by now-former Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) that he would oppose the bill if it cut too deep. Desperate for 60 votes, it was an easy tradeoff to make. The language was dropped and Bayh, whose state houses many of those medical device manufacturers, became a yes vote.

Bayh is now gone from the Senate, and Democrats, eager to find some way to get Republicans to sign off on additional revenues, are now looking to trade in that chip. As one plugged in operative predicted: "There will be cuts on the provider side but not on the beneficiary side."

A second Senate source confirmed that cuts to Medicare providers were indeed being discussed as a tradeoff for revenue-raisers elsewhere. The source added that lawmakers would be looking beyond just medical device manufacturers, toward the hospital and prescription drug industries as well.

"We've been very careful distinguishing between cuts to Medicare beneficiaries and cuts to Medicare providers," the source said..."