News bites: Trade deals spark healthcare fight

The Finance Committee's markup of trade legislation includes a slew of health amendments, including one to sunset the healthcare law's Independent Payment Advisory Board. 

Separately, the Finance Committee has postponed its 10 a.m. deficit-reduction hearing with former White House budget director Peter Orszag.

While all eyes were on the 6th Circuit, the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Pennsylvania can recover Medicaid payments from future settlements or judgments awarded to beneficiaries.

President Obama put Medicare and Medicaid squarely on the table during Wednesday's press conference, saying he's "been willing to say we need to see where we can reduce the cost of healthcare spending and Medicare and Medicaid in the out-years, not by shifting costs on to seniors, as some have proposed, but rather by actually reducing those costs. But even if we’re doing it in a smart way, that's still tough politics. But it’s the right thing to do."