White House Healthcare Summit Set with Key Congressional Leaders
NAAOP
Description
Collection
Title:
White House Healthcare Summit Set with Key Congressional Leaders
Creator:
NAAOP
Date:
2/16/2010
Text:
White House Healthcare Summit Set with Key Congressional Leaders
President Obama essentially acknowledged the need to restart the healthcare
reform debate by hosting a high-level White House meeting scheduled for
February 25th. Key Congressional leaders from both political parties are
expected to attend the healthcare Summit. The question is what progress,
if any, they will make.
Both Democrats and Republicans are at odds over virtually every major issue
facing Congress and the President. And with tempers and mistrust rising
between key decision-makers, the prospects for achieving significant
progress remain in doubt.
What is clear is that certain deadlines loom that must be addressed,
regardless of the final outcome of a more comprehensive reform bill. The
physician fee schedule is expected to be cut by 21% at the end of February
if Congress does not extend a freeze in reimbursement rates. In addition,
the Medicare outpatient therapy caps are currently in place for the first
time in years. An exceptions process to the therapy caps was in place but
expired at the end of 2009. Congress will have to act on this issue as well
or will incur the wrath of Medicare beneficiaries losing access to
rehabilitation therapies at the very time they need them most.
The extension of the physician fee fix and the imposition of an exceptions
process on the therapy caps are expensive but most everyone on Capitol Hill
believes they need to be enacted. These two issues represent must-pass
Medicare items that may, in fact, create a legislative vehicle on which
other reforms may be added. It is possible at this point that another
short-term extension of the physician fix will be passed to buy time for
Congressional leaders to agree on a broader health care strategy.
On the other hand, Republican leaders appear to have gained tremendous
momentum in opposing healthcare reform outright and, with an election coming
in November, they have little incentive to compromise on healthcare reform
now. Their challenge will be to not look obstructionist in the months
leading up to the election. And a crucial test of this will be the White
House Healthcare Summit.
Democrats are reluctant to cast aside their existing bills and start from
scratch on healthcare reform while Republicans take the position that unless
this is done, the Summit will be nothing more than political theater. The
President has stated that he will unveil on the White House website a new
approach to health reform, but whether this new bill attracts any supporters
is anyone's guess at this point.
All of this leaves one wondering what impact it will have on orthotics and
prosthetics. The answer is not at all clear at the current time, but the O&P
field needs to remain vigilant about monitoring this evolving situation and
intervening at the appropriate time.
Please visit our website at: www.naaop.org
NAAOP
1501 M Street, NW
7th Floor
Washington, DC 20005-1700
e-mail: <Email Address Redacted>
(800) 622-6740
(202) 624-0064 Phone
(202) 785-1756 Fax
www.naaop.org
President Obama essentially acknowledged the need to restart the healthcare
reform debate by hosting a high-level White House meeting scheduled for
February 25th. Key Congressional leaders from both political parties are
expected to attend the healthcare Summit. The question is what progress,
if any, they will make.
Both Democrats and Republicans are at odds over virtually every major issue
facing Congress and the President. And with tempers and mistrust rising
between key decision-makers, the prospects for achieving significant
progress remain in doubt.
What is clear is that certain deadlines loom that must be addressed,
regardless of the final outcome of a more comprehensive reform bill. The
physician fee schedule is expected to be cut by 21% at the end of February
if Congress does not extend a freeze in reimbursement rates. In addition,
the Medicare outpatient therapy caps are currently in place for the first
time in years. An exceptions process to the therapy caps was in place but
expired at the end of 2009. Congress will have to act on this issue as well
or will incur the wrath of Medicare beneficiaries losing access to
rehabilitation therapies at the very time they need them most.
The extension of the physician fee fix and the imposition of an exceptions
process on the therapy caps are expensive but most everyone on Capitol Hill
believes they need to be enacted. These two issues represent must-pass
Medicare items that may, in fact, create a legislative vehicle on which
other reforms may be added. It is possible at this point that another
short-term extension of the physician fix will be passed to buy time for
Congressional leaders to agree on a broader health care strategy.
On the other hand, Republican leaders appear to have gained tremendous
momentum in opposing healthcare reform outright and, with an election coming
in November, they have little incentive to compromise on healthcare reform
now. Their challenge will be to not look obstructionist in the months
leading up to the election. And a crucial test of this will be the White
House Healthcare Summit.
Democrats are reluctant to cast aside their existing bills and start from
scratch on healthcare reform while Republicans take the position that unless
this is done, the Summit will be nothing more than political theater. The
President has stated that he will unveil on the White House website a new
approach to health reform, but whether this new bill attracts any supporters
is anyone's guess at this point.
All of this leaves one wondering what impact it will have on orthotics and
prosthetics. The answer is not at all clear at the current time, but the O&P
field needs to remain vigilant about monitoring this evolving situation and
intervening at the appropriate time.
Please visit our website at: www.naaop.org
NAAOP
1501 M Street, NW
7th Floor
Washington, DC 20005-1700
e-mail: <Email Address Redacted>
(800) 622-6740
(202) 624-0064 Phone
(202) 785-1756 Fax
www.naaop.org
Citation
NAAOP, “White House Healthcare Summit Set with Key Congressional Leaders,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 22, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/231218.
