Democrats Consider Offering Medicare Provider Cuts In Exchange For Revenue Increases

[Hissyspit]

Source: Sam Stein @ HuffPo

Democrats Consider Offering Medicare Provider Cuts In Exchange For Revenue Increases

Posted: 06/23/11 05:02 PM ET

NEW YORK -- House Majority Leader Eric Cantor's (R-Va.) decision on Thursday to leave ongoing debt ceiling negotiations seemed to bring those talks to an abrupt standstill. But aides on the Hill and a statement from White House Press Secretary Jay Carney seem to suggest that Cantor's absence means, simply, that the discussions will now get picked up by President Barack Obama and Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio).

As the heavier hitters get set to pick up the slack, the contours of a grand bargain are once again emerging, and it may not be to the liking of either party. In exchange for revenue-raisers (most likely in the form of siphoned off tax breaks or the closing of loopholes) Democrats will agree to Medicare cuts -- not on the beneficiary side, which would have produced deafening howls from within the caucus, but on the provider side.

The first hint of this deal came on Thursday morning, when Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus said the following with respect to the Cantor news: "I think we should stay at the table. I think we should keep working, difficult as it is, and try to balance between Medicare cuts -- additional Medicare cuts -- so long as there is commensurate additional revenue. We need balance here."

The notion that "additional Medicare cuts" would be exchanged for "commensurate" revenue increases piqued the interest of more than one Democratic operative, several of whom highlighted the quote in emails to The Huffington Post. Baucus has been one of the most steadfast backers of keeping Medicare out of the debt ceiling negotiations. For him to express newfound openness seemed suggestive about the party's thinking at large.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/23/democrats-medi...

[ProSense]

1. When did

"Baucus has been one of the most steadfast backers of keeping Medicare out of the debt ceiling negotiations. For him to express newfound openness seemed suggestive about the party's thinking at large."

...Baucus become "Democrats"?

Baucus often takes positions that other Democrats don't support.

[gkhouston]

17. I always wonder why "Baucus" and "Democrat" appear in the same sentence. n/t

[madrchsod]

2. i was looking forward to having medicare the way my parents did

i guess that`s another thing i can cross off my wish list.

i guess it`s easy to sell out old people.

[Autumn]

3. We have lost a hell of a lot the last

20 years or so. Old people and the poor seem to be expendable.

[glinda]

4. When my pets die, i might travel world wide and hope to get sick in another Country.

[neverforget]

5. especially when those in Congress don't have to worry about everyday

like health care. Boot straps and all that bullshit

[msongs]

6. so when Obama is not sucking up to Boehner has he found time to visit Wisconsin? nt

[Hoyt]

7. Apparently they are considering cutting payments to manufacturers of prescription drugs. OK with me.

Would have to see what cuts they propose for hospitals and medical device manufacturers.

[Autumn]

9. Didn't they do those cuts once already?

I thought I heard something about that.

[Hoyt]

12. There's plenty to cut. Medicare has been paying top dollar for pharmaceuticals for years.

It's time to start serious negotiations on prices.

[Lil Missy]

8. The cuts are to PROVIDERS, not seniors.

But, I still wouldn't support any cuts at all while the bush tax cuts are still in effect.

[Yupster]

19. They're perfect budget cuts because

they won't happen.

They'll be able to log them in as cuts, and then they'll do a fix in each future budget to restore the cut money.

Perfect solution.

No one gets hurt and no one gets cut.

[karynnj]

20. Excellent point - was that what the "doctor fix" was?

But will the Republicans agree to significant revenue raising?

[Yupster]

21. Yes - they agreed to cut payments to doctors by X percent per year

They got to log in the savings, and then they quickly saw that they couldn't do the cuts because the doctors were refusing to treat patients under the new reduced payments.

So now every year the budget assumes the cuts will be made, but then the congress "fixes" the problem so the cuts are restored.

[placton]

10. these folks are re-defining the word

"gutless"

[Mojorabbit]

11. My hubby is a family practice doc

and the payment level is so low now that many fp docs are not taking anymore medicare patients. I hope they don't make cuts in that dept.

[lovuian]

13. this makes me sick cut defense budget for war

instead of medicare

[JDPriestly]

14. Cuts to Medicare providers mean it will be more difficult for seniors

to obtain medical services. This is again a betrayal by Obama.

So we default on our debt. Who will lose? The banks? The world? Really?

It's going to happen sooner or later. Unless we impose limits on the ability of the Fed to give away money without congressional vote and also do away with "free trade," we will, sooner or later, default on debt.

We can't keep spending like drunken sailors at the ports of China, India, etc. and pay our bills.

And no matter what you do, the government will have to pay for the health care of seniors and indigents. Unless we want to be a society in which people die from lack of medical care even more frequently.

[999998th word]

16. No the government won't have to pay

for the health care for the elderly or the indigent if ryan, teabaggers, koch bros- ad nauseum.

get their way.They want us dead.If you are retired, unemployed-unemployable due to age,

underemployed w/no health insurance,chronically ill, handicapped, or indigent-regardless

of what contributions you have made to the society @ large they consider those of us in these

groups-myself included-to be parasites.The other phrases include the term 'useless eaters'.

The sad reality is as I stated above.they don't feel any obligation towards anyone else.They don't give a shit.

[SoapBox]

15. So...in the end, are they going to cave and sell out butts down the river to the Thugs?

I simply do not trust the Dems to Man-Up and protect us.

[Javaman]

18. Radioactive...

they do anything to medicare, they have lost my vote.

This should be the chant of all real democrats.

but alas...