A $214 Billion Dollar Bipartisan Measure by Dianna Tafazoli

 

We have all come to know that Republicans and Democrats cannot agree upon anything.  It is not even clear if they can agree upon the actual number of members in the Congress.  It is just that bad.  A bit of good news, the Congress finally came together to agree on a Medicare initiative late Tuesday (April 14, 2015). Congress agreed to rewrite how Medicare pays physicians for treating the elderly.  Medicare is an insurance that covers seniors, those 65 years of age and beyond.  It has taken years of debate to finally come to an initiative the Congress can agree on.

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Physicians were threatening to stop treating the more than 50 million seniors who depend on Medicare for health insurance coverage.  A 1997 law called for deep cuts in reimbursements to physicians.  Rewriting the provisions of the 1997 law would basically annul the law thus preventing the deep cuts.  The immediate impact of rewriting the provisions of the law would stop a 21 percent cut in physicians’ Medicare fees slated to start on Wednesday April 15, 2015.

President Obama stated that he is ready to sign the bill into law.

Dianna Tafazoli

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