Charles Grassley, the finance panel’s top Republican, released a rival plan on Wednesday. His plan also contains cuts to private plans, though they are less heavy.
Lawmakers face a ticking clock to pass a legislative fix by June 30, or doctors who treat Medicare patients will face a nearly 11 percent pay cut — seen as a highly unlikely outcome in an election year.
Senate Democrats, with some Republicans, want to preserve doctors’ payments with money saved from cutting private Medicare plans, known as Medicare Advantage. A recent Medicare Payment Advisory Commission report said private plans are paid 13 percent to 17 percent more than standard Medicare.
“Every Medicare beneficiary in the country … will pay $2 extra per month to subsidize these extra payment rates,” Baucus said on the Senate floor on Wednesday. Continued…
