The third rail Republicans can’t stop touching

The third rail Republicans can’t stop touching-politico:  For two decades, campaign after campaign, Republican politicians have floated the idea of privatizing government entitlement programs including Social Security and Medicare. And campaign after campaign — from Paul Ryan to George W. Bush — it’s been a loser.

Doctors lobby Congress for Medicare payment bump, again

Doctors lobby Congress for Medicare payment bump, again-rollcall:  Doctors are again ramping up what has become a perennial lobbying campaign to urge Congress to increase Medicare payments in order to offset cuts scheduled to go into effect Jan. 1.

Democrats eye Medicare Advantage as potential reconciliation offset

Democrats eye Medicare Advantage as potential reconciliation offset-rollcall:  Democrats are considering payment reductions for private Medicare Advantage plans to help offset the cost of a multitrillion-dollar budget bill, according to three sources with knowledge of the talks, triggering a lobbying fight from the insurer

17 senators ask Biden to push for Medicare expansion

17 senators ask Biden to push for Medicare expansion-politico:  A group of 17 senators sent a letter Sunday to President Joe Biden urging him to attempt to expand Medicare as part of his American Families Plan.

Democrats seize on Trump's payroll tax deferral as an attack on Social Security, Medicare

Democrats seize on Trump's payroll tax deferral as an attack on Social Security, Medicare-politico:  Democrats are pouncing on Trump’s new, temporary freeze on payroll taxes as his secret plan to end Social Security and Medicare — traditional priorities for older voters that have not been central themes in this year’s presidential campaign.

Medicare for All complicates Democrats' pitch to retake Senate

'Medicare for All' complicates Democrats' pitch to retake Senate-thehill: The divide over health care among Democratic presidential candidates is raising fears the party might turn an issue that was a key winner in the House midterms into a liability in next year's Senate races. Democratic Senate candidates have been planning to borrow heavily from the playbook used by House Democrats in 2018, when the party won back the chamber in large part because of a pledge to protect ObamaCare against Republican attempts to kill the 2010 law.

Hospitals Challenge Medicare Payments, With Help From Judge Kavanaugh

Hospitals Challenge Medicare Payments, With Help From Judge Kavanaugh - A federal appeals court has cleared the way for hospitals around the country to seek more money from Medicare, based on evidence that the government has been using faulty data to calculate costs for decades.

CMS proposes change in the drug payment amount under Medicare Part B

CMS proposes change in the drug payment amount under Medicare Part B - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Thursday proposed a change in the payment amount for new drugs under its Part B program, amid the Trump administration’s attempts to tackle escalating prices of drugs.

Republicans give up on Medicare overhaul

Republicans give up on Medicare overhaul - Republicans on Capitol Hill are giving up on what might be their last best chance to overhaul Medicare, just as they’re losing their leading champion on the issue, House Speaker Paul Ryan.

Watchdog report finds surge in Medicare drug spending | TheHill

Watchdog report finds surge in Medicare drug spending | TheHill: "Medicare spending on prescription drugs has surged in recent years, despite a drop in the number of prescriptions, according to a new report."

Trump's health chief warns hospital execs about health care costs: 'Change is coming'

Trump's health chief warns hospital execs about health care costs: 'Change is coming'-thehill: President Trump’s new health secretary issued a warning Monday to a room of hospital executives about soaring health care costs: change is coming, whether you like it or not.

Republicans working to relax law that would put drug makers on the hook for more costs

Republicans working to relax law that would put drug makers on the hook for more costs-stat: Republicans in Congress are working to relax a law that would force drug makers to pay a higher percentage of costs for Medicare beneficiaries.

Congress' new spending bill includes provision to slow down MIPS

Congress' new spending bill includes provision to slow down MIPS-modernhealthcare: Congress is seeking to slow federal efforts to hold providers accountable for saving Medicare money under the Merit-based Incentive Payment System.

Ryan says Republicans to target welfare, Medicare, Medicaid spending in 2018

Ryan says Republicans to target welfare, Medicare, Medicaid spending in 2018-washingtonpost: House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) said Wednesday that congressional Republicans will aim next year to reduce spending on both federal health care and anti-poverty programs, citing the need to reduce America's deficit.

Heart Device Failure: Medicare Spent $1.5B Over 10 Years To Replace Defective Implants

Heart Device Failure: Medicare Spent $1.5B Over 10 Years To Replace Defective Implants-kaiserhealthnews: Medicare paid at least $1.5 billion over a decade to replace seven types of defective heart devices, a government watchdog says. The devices apparently failed for thousands of senior patients.

HHS hints at major changes to Medicare that could mean higher costs for patients

HHS hints at major changes to Medicare that could mean higher costs for patients-stat: The Trump administration is signaling it will pursue significant changes to Medicare that could put beneficiaries on the hook for higher costs.

GOP Health Plan Relies on Cutting Payments to Doctors, Hospitals

GOP Health Plan Relies on Cutting Payments to Doctors, Hospitals-bloomberg: A Republican health-care plan to lower insurance premiums would need to cut payments to hospitals and doctors to the same level as federally-set Medicare rates and would require billions of dollars in extra government spending to meet its goals, according to an independent analysis of the policy.

CMS delays expansion of bundled payment programs

CMS delays expansion of bundled payment programs-modernhealthcare: The CMS has delayed the expansion of a major bundled payment pilot, Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement, and the implementation of its bundled payment initiatives for cardiac care from July 1 to Oct. 1, 2017, according to an interim final rule posted to the Federal Register. It also delayed, for a second time, the effective date of a final rule laying out the implementation of CJR and other bundled payment programs, from March 21 to May 20, 2017.

Providers lobby Trump, Congress to follow path away from Medicare fee-for-service

Providers lobby Trump, Congress to follow path away from Medicare fee-for-service-modernhealthcare: Providers and insurers are among healthcare leaders lobbying Congress and the Trump administration to continue to push Medicare into value-based payment models.

Trump Medicare promise causes heartburn for GOP

Trump Medicare promise causes heartburn for GOP-thehill: Time and again on the campaign trail, Donald Trump pledged to his supporters that he wouldn’t gut Medicare as president.