House Expected To Pass Major Boehner-Pelosi Deal To Reshape Medicare

[Colorado Vince]

Source: TPM

BySahil KapurPublishedMarch 25, 2015, 6:00 AM EDT


WASHINGTON — An ambitious agreement by Speaker John Boehner and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to fix a major funding gap in Medicare and make some separate long-term cuts appears in good shape to pass the House.

A floor vote is planned for Thursday, House leadership aides said, after the top Democrat and Republican successfully resolved concerns about abortion language.

"It is all shaping up very well on both sides," said Kevin Smith, a spokesman for Boehner.

The legislation would eliminate the "doc fix" problem that has become one of Washington's most despised rituals. The existing Medicare formula for paying doctors imposes steep annual cuts that Congress has overridden for more than a decade. Doctors face a 21 percent cut if no "fix" is enacted by April 1.

Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/house-deal-medicare-doc-fix

[Myrina]

1. Oh dear.

A little too vague for my liking. One wonders what they're really going to spring on us, especially if the Head Oompa Loompa's name is on it.

[groundloop]

6. One of the cuts mentioned makes sense, the other I'm not sure about

The first cut to Medicare is to make higher income seniors pay more, which I think is ok (depending on where they draw the line). The other cut is going to reduce "medigap" coverage, which I'm not sure about. Since boner's name is on it though I'm leery.

[hedda_foil]

19. The government doesn't pay for Medigap plans.

Our seniors do. They're private plans and they're not cheap for what they cover. I bet this is one of those nasty tactics to make care more expensive so people won't use Medicare as much.

[Romeo.lima333]

2. so who's gettin screwed

[rpannier]

3. It probably isn't Nancy or John

[EEO]

4. Not optimistic.

[rickford66]

5. My wife and I have been on Medicare for over three years.

It's been great. No hassles. Covers more than our old employer plan except for dental. If they mess with it, I expect even the Tea Baggers to complain.

[jwirr]

12. If they really do something to hurt us all of us will complain. However, this is supposed to fix the

problems with how our doctors get paid. If is does then more doctors will accept Medicare. I also like that richer holders will pay more but I suspect it will not stand up in the SCOTUS.

[rickford66]

15. If Beohner is involved, there's a gotcha

[jwirr]

16. Sure. So how do you all expect to get this doctor problem fixed without a bipartisan vote? The

doctors do not want to treat people on Medicare until this gets fixed.

[rickford66]

17. We've never been turned down for care, but I guess some are.

If it fixes a problem with access I'm in agreement. I suppose the extra money won't be coming from the 1%.

[jwirr]

18. The extra money will come from Medicare. I also have not been turned down by a doctor except

dentists but I have read quite a few posts here on DU who tell us that is a problem in their areas.

[Reter]

7. Just by calling it the "Boehner-Pelosi Deal" makes it reak of establishment

n/t

[turbinetree]

8. Read

America's Bitter Pill
I think everyone who has not done this by now should read the above book by Steven Brill,
then go to pages 153-155, 157, 161, 395, and finally 401.
This one piece of legislation that is coming up for a vote says that this country needs a public option or a single payer system.
How about fixing the four words in the lawsuit that the U.S. Supreme Court is going to decide, can't wait for there activist right wing judges and there response ---oh boy.
How about campaign finance corruption--not in this legislation or budget, but we get the Paul Ryan Ayn Rand concept of your on your own and be thank full you work for a cut throat corporation.
What other long term cuts are they looking at attacking safe drinking water and air, and food, or how about Medicaid, SSDI, how about SS, continuation of NO unemployment benefits legislation, how about food stamps, I like those word food stamps, just shows how those two words send republicans into a absolute rage, or welfare not for the poor but for the rich, how about education any cutting and gutting there, but we do have an increase in defense spending (3 billion)--great, no reinstatement of the military draft legislation, but use the unemployed, poor and the middle class that can't find a job for the military, but more buy more weapons because of the republicans are wanting to bomb bomb Iran and any one else that crosses them and sending letters in violation of the Logan Act.
Then if you really look at the issues they really don't do anything, I mean nothing, but they are going to pass some kind of legislation for the "Doc fix".
My big old question is why there were not any public committee meetings to hear what they were going to do, and if they had one was there a public comment period on this legislation--did not hear of any----why.
But Medicare is going to get what cuts---why

[Xipe Totec]

9. If you think you've gotten a good deal from a Deveel,

"if you think you've gotten a good deal from a Deveel, first count your fingers, then your limbs, then your relatives".

- Aahz, Myth Adventures

[OneCrazyDiamond]

10. Does anyone know is this bill has Hyde language

attacking women's health?

[closeupready]

11. When the mainstream media calls a Congressional bill merely a 'reshaping', it's a 'diminshment'

at least for working people, poor people, minorities, etc.

[father founding]

13. OOPs grandma said, I'm pregnant

How many seniors get abortions, assholes, what's wrong with those people.Very surprised they don't add a provision to buy Bushwhackers for seniors.

[Cryptoad]

14. Some Seniors

still like to whack bushes ,,,,,,,