House leaders work on $213B plan on doc Medicare payments
Source: AP – AP Wire Service
Mar 17 16:38

Editors Note APNewsNow.

By ALAN FRAM and ANDREW TAYLOR
Associated Press

WASHINGTON—

A briefing paper circulating among lawmakers shows that bipartisan House leaders are working on a $213 billion plan to address a problem that’s vexed Congress for years: changing how a doctor is paid for treating Medicare patients.

Around $140 billion of the plan’s 10-year costs would be financed by adding to federal deficits.

Of the roughly $70 billion remaining, around half would be paid for by boosting some beneficiaries’ costs. Part of that would come from boosting premiums people earning over $133,000 yearly pay for Medicare doctors and drugs.

The document says that starting in 2020, people buying new Medigap policies would face higher, unspecified out-of-pocket costs.

The remaining $35 billion would come from Medicare providers and hospitals, though the document provides no details about that.

AP-WF-03-17-15 2038GMT

Received Id AP1150766E1AB1ED on Mar 17 2015 16:41