February 7, 2014
News that lawmakers have released a plan that would permanently fix the sustainable growth rate received coverage in a few major US newspapers, and was widely covered in the beltway media. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle praised the deal, as did some medical associations, including the American Medical Association. AMA president Dr. Ardis Dee Hoven is quoted in many of the articles. However, many sources point out that lawmakers must still find a way to pay for the bill.

The Los Angeles Times (2/7, Levey) reports, “In a rare bipartisan agreement,” legislators “have settled on a plan to fix Medicare’s system for paying physicians, potentially ending years of uncertainty that often held up fees for” physicians who care for elderly patients. However, this “proposed fix still must be paid for,” which means that lawmakers still have to “come up with as much as $150 billion in savings from elsewhere in the budget.” Dr. Hoven said, “This legislation is the product of months of unprecedented bipartisan, bicameral work to reach this landmark agreement.”
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