deficit reduction

CBO Looks For Cost-Cutting Opportunities

The Congressional Budget Office periodically issues a compendium of policy options for changing federal tax and spending policies in particular areas and reducing federal spending.  For each option the CBO presents an estimate of its effect on the budget without making recommendations either in favor of or against those options.  The latest update of options includes a number with potential implications for health care providers, including: changing the cost-sharing rules for Medicare and restricting medigap insurance reducing Medicare Advantage benchmarks reducing Medicare’s coverage of bad debt consolidating and reducing federal payments for graduate medical education at teaching hospitals establishing caps [...]

Federal Health Policy Update for Monday, August 8`

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Monday, August 8.  Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress On Sunday, the Senate passed the Democrats’ health care, climate, and tax bill, H.R. 5376, The Inflation Reduction Act, by a vote of 51-50, with Vice President Harris casting the tie-breaking vote.  Health care provisions in the reconciliation bill include: allowing Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices limiting out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for Medicare enrollees to $2,000 a year extending for three years enhanced Affordable Care Act [...]

CBO Targets Health Care in Options for Reducing Deficit

Every year the Congressional Budget Office publishes a menu of options for reducing federal spending and the federal budget deficit.  As in the past, this year’s compendium includes a number of options to reduce federal health care spending and raises federal revenue through health care initiatives. The cost-cutting options include: establish caps on federal spending for Medicaid limit states’ taxes on health care providers reduce federal Medicaid matching rates change the cost-sharing rules for Medicare and restrict Medigap insurance raise the age of eligibility for Medicare to 67 reduce Medicare’s coverage of bad debt consolidate and reduce federal payments for [...]

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