Selected stories from the daily newsletter CQ HealthBeat from the week of November 16, 2009. Provided as a service under rights licensed by The Commonwealth Fund. The full-text version of this newsletter is available in the Health Reform section of
commonwealthfund.org.
An improbably unified Democratic party closed ranks to push its giant health overhaul package past another key milestone in the Senate, prevailing in a 60 to 39 vote on a procedural motion that opens the way for Senate action on the measure after lawmakers return in December from their Thanksgiving holiday recess.
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The newly released Senate Democratic leadership bill overhauling the nation's health care system would trim federal spending on Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal health programs by $491 billion in 2010–19, according to a newly released estimate prepared by the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation.
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The House passed a bill that would stop a scheduled cut in Medicare physician payment rates scheduled for January and would restructure the formula that determines how doctors are paid under the federal health care program. Read more »
House Democrats have ordered an investigation into recent price increases by drug manufacturers, out of suspicion that the increases are an attempt to maximize profits ahead of potential price controls included in a health care overhaul. Read more »
One of the accomplishments of the White House in the current health overhaul debate has been keeping industry groups more or less at the bargaining table. One lure was the possibility that the Senate would embrace legislation that was more industry friendly, and that the Senate would get the upper hand in House-Senate negotiations on a final bill. But how are industry groups feeling now that the Senate bill has been unveiled?
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The House passed legislation (HR 3962) that includes a number of provisions that Democrats believe could lead to lower prescription drug prices. Read more »