President Obama will consider adopting four proposals Congressional Republicans suggested in last week's healthcare summit on the president's health reform legislation, according to a letter the White House sent Republican and Democratic leaders in Congress.
Cites specific GOP proposals. The letter said President Obama was considering four policy priorities that he said Republicans had brought up at last week's bipartisan health reform summit:
1. Use of "medical professionals" to conduct random, undercover investigations of healthcare providers to fight fraud, waste and abuse, suggested by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) at the summit.
2. Earmark an additional $50 million in funding to states "for demonstrations of alternatives to resolving medical malpractice disputes, including health courts," proposed at the summit by Sen. Coburn, Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.). This would be in addition to $23 million HHS has already earmarked for such demonstrations.
3. Find additional funds to bolster Medicaid payments to physicians "if Medicaid is expanded to cover more people." This was based on a suggestion from Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), who said such reimbursements are often inadequate, according to President Obama.
4. Expand health savings accounts with high-deductible plans, proposed at the summit by Sen. John Barasso (R-Wyo.). President Obama said high-deductible health plans could be offered in his proposed insurance exchange.
Notes areas of agreement. The president also claimed several broad areas of agreement with Republicans at the summit:
1. "The cost of healthcare is a large and growing problem that, left untended, threatens families, businesses and the solvency of our government itself," according to President Obama.
2. Insurance markets need to be reformed.
3. Small businesses and individuals who lack insurance should be allowed to join together to increase their purchasing power.
4. There is a "dire need to wring out waste, fraud and abuse and get control of skyrocketing healthcare costs," the president wrote.
Read President Obama's letter on health reform.
Cites specific GOP proposals. The letter said President Obama was considering four policy priorities that he said Republicans had brought up at last week's bipartisan health reform summit:
1. Use of "medical professionals" to conduct random, undercover investigations of healthcare providers to fight fraud, waste and abuse, suggested by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) at the summit.
2. Earmark an additional $50 million in funding to states "for demonstrations of alternatives to resolving medical malpractice disputes, including health courts," proposed at the summit by Sen. Coburn, Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.). This would be in addition to $23 million HHS has already earmarked for such demonstrations.
3. Find additional funds to bolster Medicaid payments to physicians "if Medicaid is expanded to cover more people." This was based on a suggestion from Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), who said such reimbursements are often inadequate, according to President Obama.
4. Expand health savings accounts with high-deductible plans, proposed at the summit by Sen. John Barasso (R-Wyo.). President Obama said high-deductible health plans could be offered in his proposed insurance exchange.
Notes areas of agreement. The president also claimed several broad areas of agreement with Republicans at the summit:
1. "The cost of healthcare is a large and growing problem that, left untended, threatens families, businesses and the solvency of our government itself," according to President Obama.
2. Insurance markets need to be reformed.
3. Small businesses and individuals who lack insurance should be allowed to join together to increase their purchasing power.
4. There is a "dire need to wring out waste, fraud and abuse and get control of skyrocketing healthcare costs," the president wrote.
Read President Obama's letter on health reform.