"Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA), Co-Chairs of the Congressional Rural Health Caucus, introduced the Primary Care Workforce Access Improvement Act today. This bipartisan bill would promote the training of primary care doctors in rural communities by allocating a portion of Graduate Medical Education (GME) funding go toward the implementation of a pilot project."
"Lawmakers again find themselves with less than a month to pass legislation to stop a steep decrease in Medicare payments to physicians. Doctors are in the familiar situation of facing severe pay cuts brought on by Medicare's sustainable growth rate formula. On Jan. 1, the Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services is set to start paying claims for Medicare services at 27.4% less than 2011 rates."
"The failure of the congressional super committee could mean automatic budget cuts totaling billions of dollars for everything from Medicare to biomedical research, starting in 2013. But some health care interests stand to fare better than others."
"People with Medicare will be able to benefit from a new program designed to encourage primary care doctors, specialists, hospitals, and other health care providers to coordinate their care under a final regulation issued today by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Created by the Affordable Care Act, these final rules on Accountable Care Organizations add to the menu of options for providers looking to better coordinate care for patients and will make it easier for providers to deliver high quality care and use health care dollars more wisely."
"People with Medicare will be able to benefit from a new program designed to encourage primary care doctors, specialists, hospitals, and other care providers to coordinate their care under a final regulation on Accountable Care Organizations issued today by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)."
"The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) voted Thursday to approve the sustainable growth rate (SGR) proposal it issued last month. Medical groups are already expressing their displeasure. MedPAC’s approved recommendation repeals the SGR for an estimated cost of $200 billion. To cover that cost MedPAC suggests a 10-year Medicare payment rate freeze for primary care physicians and cuts to payments for specialists by 5.9 percent each year for three years followed by a seven-year payment freeze. Some of the other offsets come from durable medical equipment, hospitals and Medicare benefits to seniors."
"A bill introduced recently in the U.S. Senate would increase the number of Medicare-supported training positions for medical residents by 15 percent—about 15,000 slots—over five years."
“As the nation faces a critical doctor shortage, we support this proposal and applaud the leadership of these senators to expand the number of residency positions. Such efforts are important to the future of health care in this country."
The president's plan includes changes to graduate medical education.
"The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has estimated the impact on the deficit of the Budget Control Act of 2011, as posted on the Web site of the House Committee on Rules on August 1, 2011."
"HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Education Secretary Arne Duncan today announced awards of $95 million to 278 school-based health center programs across the country. Provided by the Affordable Care Act, the awards will help clinics expand and provide more health care services at schools nationwide"
"As you and the president engage in serious discussions on deficit reduction, rumors abound on possible cuts. We write to strongly urge you to recognize the critical role our nation's teaching hospitals play in both the delivery of quality health care and the development of our future health care workforce."
"The Obama administration is trying to hasten the spread of new arrangements to coordinate and pay for the health care of older Americans, even as major groups of hospitals and doctors are skeptical of the government’s plans."
"Late last night Congress published the details of the budget deal struck between the White House and Congress over the weekend. The deal would cut roughly $38.5 billion from current funding levels, including $600 million from the Community Health Centers program. "
"Today, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) releases its March 2011 Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy. The report presents the Commission’s recommendations for 2012 rate adjustments in fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare."
"The AAMC is pleased that President Obama’s 2012 budget plan recommends some important investments that will improve the health of all Americans. Key among these proposals is increased support for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The funding boost advocated by the administration will help drive progress in medical research and ultimately result in innovations that will provide new treatments, cures, and improvements in the quality of life for American families and patients everywhere, as well as spur economic growth and development."
"Having emerged from the worst recession in generations, the President has put forward a plan to rebuild our economy and win the future by out-innovating, out-educating, and out-building our global competitors and creating the jobs and industries of tomorrow."
