Van Hollen: Congress Should Pay Down DeficitBy Speeding ACA Reforms-insidehealthpolicy: Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) said Wednesday
(Dec. 5) that he wants to help pay down the deficit by speeding Medicare delivery
and payment reforms, including establishment of accountable care organizations,
bundled pay and integrated care for dual eligibles. Also, Sen. Bob Corker
(R-TN) signaled that he could go along with letting tax rates for the wealthy
expire -- he has said he does not feel bound to Grover Norquist’s no-tax pledge
-- but added that such a policy must be accompanied with the type of
entitlement reform that Van Hollen and Democrats dislike. Corker wants to see
those major entitlement reforms agreed to before the end of the year, and he
said he would not vote for a bill that assigns top-line cuts to Medicare
without filling in the policy details of how those savings would be achieved.
