Pelosi Comments: “There’s More to Be Squeezed” from Health Care Providers
I wanted to make you aware of comments Speaker Pelosi made in a front-page interview with USA Today. Specifically, the Speaker said that “many Members think that there’s more to be squeezed from hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, and docs.” This comes on the heels of a letter from several surgical specialty groups — including the American College of Surgeons, which previously endorsed the House bill (H.R. 3200) — that “should provisions to place the authority for Medicare payment policy in an unelected executive agency be included in any legislation at any point, the surgical community would vigorously oppose this legislation regardless of any other provisions that may be included.”
Given multiple press reports this morning that the Blue Dog Coalition may have reached an agreement with Chairman Waxman to include some version of “MedPAC on steroids” as part of a health care overhaul, you are strongly encouraged to reach out to provider groups in your district to inform them of this latest development, which could result in a board of unelected bureaucrats setting payment rates and otherwise interfering in the practice of medicine.