When Congress votes on a longer-term Medicare physician fee-fix, Republicans may tie it to cutting back the healthcare reform law, according to a report by Investors Business Daily.
The Democrat-run lame-duck session is about to pass a one-month fee fix expiring Jan. 1, giving the session more time to pass a full-year fix for 2011. Democrats don’t want this must-pass legislation "hanging out there" in 2011 to become part of Republican bills rolling back the reform law, an aide close to the GOP leadership said.
If repeal measures are amended to the fee-fix, "vulnerable Democrats up for re-election may have to choose between a partial repeal of ObamaCare or blocking a doc-fix," the newspaper said. But it added such actions "could leave the GOP open to criticism that they are avoiding a permanent solution and playing with doctor-patient care for political reasons."
Read the Investors Business Daily report on healthcare reform.
Read more coverage of repealing healthcare reform.
- Senate Republicans Seeking Democratic Allies to Repeal Reform Law
- GOP Strategist Targets Parts of Reform Law, Including Assignment to ACOs
- Lame-Duck Session Could Ensure Future Funding for Reform Law
The Democrat-run lame-duck session is about to pass a one-month fee fix expiring Jan. 1, giving the session more time to pass a full-year fix for 2011. Democrats don’t want this must-pass legislation "hanging out there" in 2011 to become part of Republican bills rolling back the reform law, an aide close to the GOP leadership said.
If repeal measures are amended to the fee-fix, "vulnerable Democrats up for re-election may have to choose between a partial repeal of ObamaCare or blocking a doc-fix," the newspaper said. But it added such actions "could leave the GOP open to criticism that they are avoiding a permanent solution and playing with doctor-patient care for political reasons."
Read the Investors Business Daily report on healthcare reform.
Read more coverage of repealing healthcare reform.
- Senate Republicans Seeking Democratic Allies to Repeal Reform Law
- GOP Strategist Targets Parts of Reform Law, Including Assignment to ACOs
- Lame-Duck Session Could Ensure Future Funding for Reform Law