President's Speech Today May Propose Medicare Payment Changes

President Obama may propose tougher Medicare payment changes in his speech today, such as strengthening the Independent Payment Advisory Board and speeding up some payment changes in the healthcare reform law, according to a report by the Hill.

The White House has been mum about what the president will say in his speech on federal spending, but some sources report he might embrace healthcare recommendations submitted by the chairmen of his deficit commission in December.

In addition to strengthening the Medicare pay board and speeding up payment changes, the commission called for establishing a global budget for total healthcare spending and freezing the sustainable growth rate for physician payments through 2014 while coming up with a long-term solution.

The speech will be in answer to the budget proposed last week by House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), which included major overhauls to the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

Read the Hill report on federal spending.

Read more coverage of the deficit commission:

- Federal Deficit Panel's Draft Report Includes Fee-Fix, Cuts for Hospitals

- Deficit Plan Wins 11 Votes, Not Enough for Passage


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