Medicare

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is asking how a political intelligence firm learned about a major shift in Medicare policy before it was announced by the Obama administration. 

Grassley wrote to Medicare chief Marilyn Tavenner on Thursday seeking to find out who knew, and when, that the administration would scrap its proposed cut to Medicare Advantage (MA).

Political intelligence firm Height Securities correctly predicted the decision before it was announced. The cut had been fiercely opposed by the insurance industry, and the unofficial news caused a stir on Wall Street that benefited insurance stocks.

About 50 congressional offices have already offered to lobby the administration over cuts that threaten patients' access to treatment.

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House GOP leaders are serious about quick, bipartisan action to permanently repeal Medicare's payment system for doctors, Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas) said Wednesday.

Burgess, who is a physician and chairs the House GOP's Doctors' Caucus, said there is a serious and bipartisan push to free doctors from the "tyranny" of Medicare's payment formula — and to do it soon.

Burgess and other committee leaders have made clear to leadership that a permanent "doc fix" needs to move quickly.

"They're committed to this as well," he said.

Leaders of two top House committees are circulating an expanded draft of their plan to repeal Medicare's sustainable growth rate (SGR), the flawed physician payment formula that necessitates an annual "doc fix."

The plan from the Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means panels would use SGR repeal as an opportunity to make dramatic changes to healthcare delivery within Medicare. After several years, for example, Medicare payments to physicians would be tied in part to certain performance and efficiency measures.

Lawmakers sent their latest draft plan to healthcare providers on Wednesday, asking for comments by April 15. 

Medicare should promote screenings for hepatitis C given the frequency of the virus among older patients, advocates said Wednesday.

The National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable, a coalition of health groups and medical providers, circulated a letter urging federal health officials to offer hepatitis C screenings as part of patients' first Medicare exam.

The advocates said baby boomers represent 75 percent of U.S. cases of hepatitis C and that screening them for the virus could save more than 100,000 lives.

Confirmation decision on Tavenner at CMS comes at crucial time [free reg. req'd]

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The stakes are high this year as Washington seeks to pare back waste, fraud and abuse. 

The Senate Finance Committee will hold a hearing next Tuesday on Marilyn Tavenner's nomination to lead the Centers Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Tavenner has broad bipartisan support in Congress. Even House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) has endorsed her nomination, saying he worked well with Tavenner when she led Virginia's Medicaid agency.

At issue is a routine-seeming letter spearheaded by RetireSafe, a nonprofit healthcare advocacy group.