Democrats Revive Medicare As Political Weapon
Republicans used Medicare as their weapon in the midterm elections last fall, and now Democrats are turning the tables on them. They've taken aim at the budget plan House Republicans voted for in April.
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Republicans used Medicare as their weapon in the midterm elections last fall, and now Democrats are turning the tables on them. They've taken aim at the budget plan House Republicans voted for in April.
KHN's Mary Agnes Carey is joined by Politico Pro's David Nather to discuss Monday's GOP presidential debate that featured the candidates talking about repeal of the health law as well as Medicare reforms proposed by Rep. Paul Ryan.
KHN provides a full transcript of video excerpts from the June 13 debate in which the candidates took on key health policy issues.
At the New Hampshire debate, candidates Newt Gingrich, Tim Pawlenty, Rick Santorum, Herman Cain and Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, discussed the controversial Ryan budget plan that would revamp Medicare and put forth some solutions of their own.
We occupy a strange time in U.S. health policy. Over the past two years, assumptions and beliefs that bridged the liberal-conservative health policy divide have been blown apart.
Once upon a time, President Barack Obama and many others who championed his health care plan actually professed faith in the power of a functioning health care marketplace. That now seems like a distant memory.
Embattled CMS administrator says partnering with providers will improve care and reduce costs.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Donald Berwick discusses the GOP proposals for controlling the costs of Medicare and "the way out of this Medicaid dilemma."
There is one good thing about Ryan's plan, and it has been completely overlooked. Offering beneficiaries the same voucher, no matter where they live, would expose the egregious amount of money Medicare wastes in many parts of the country.
The court will focus on whether outside groups, such as hospitals, pharmacists and Medicaid recipients, have the right to sue when they believe the state is violating federal law.
A prestigious Institute of Medicine panel says Medicare's methods of evaluating regional costs are disturbingly imprecise and need to be overhauled.
Under laws in more than two dozen states and new Medicare rules that went into effect earlier this year, hospitals are required to report infections, risking their reputations as sterile sanctuaries, or pay a penalty. That's left hospital administrators weighing the cost of 'fessing up against the cost of fines.
Even as some Republicans distance themselves from the House-passed budget that would fundamentally change the Medicare program, the conservative seniors group 60 Plus' celebrity spokesman Pat Boone is boosting the plan.
Former President Bill Clinton said Wednesday that a controversial GOP plan to dramatically overhaul Medicare clearly was a factor in the Democrats' victory Tuesday in a House special election in a heavily Republican Western New York district.
An issue for voters -- both in this week's New York special election and in the run up to 2012 -- has to do with the differences in the two parties' visions for Medicare's future. After all, Medicare cuts come in all different shapes and sizes.
Sixty Plus, a 19-year-old organization, has become increasingly active in pushing Republican candidates and causes, will be effective in next year's elections. It tried to have an impact on this week's congressional race in New York.
Kaiser Family Foundation survey finds about 60 percent of Americans want Congress to keep Medicaid in its current form.
Mark Parkinson, head of the largest nursing home lobby, says some nursing homes will be hurt by the law's requirement to offer workers insurance but they still favor the overhaul to bring health care costs under control.
KHN's Mary Agnes Carey talks with Jackie Judd about Democratic efforts to get Senate Republicans on the record regarding an increasingly unpopular GOP budget that includes big changes to Medicare. A vote is scheduled this week. The move is seen by some as a strictly political step that won't bring lawmakers closer to agreement on a budget. (A transcript is also available.)
In today's Health On The Hill, KHN's Mary Agnes Carey talks with The Fiscal Times' Eric Pianin about the Gang of Six, negotiators seeking consensus on deficit reduction plans. The group lost a member this week after Sen. Tom Coburn left talks Tuesday over proposed cuts to Medicare, potentially leaving them overshadowed by other similar efforts, like one headed by Vice President Joe Biden.
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