Category Archives: Medicare

Nancy Pelosi, Not Enough Votes to Pass Senate Health Bill in House, January 21, 2010, Fox News report, Republican Scott Brown, MA US Senate seat

From Fox News, January 21, 2010.

“Pelosi: Not Enough Votes to Pass Senate Health Bill in House”

“WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday she does not have the votes to pass the Senate’s version of a health insurance bill that is now in severe jeopardy of being scrapped.

Just days ago, that was the most viable option for keeping alive President Obama’s top domestic priority, but with the election of Republican Scott Brown to the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts, the fragile coalition of Democrats has broken apart as lawmakers bicker over which portions of the $900 billion, 10-year Senate bill they will and won’t accept.

Emerging from a closed-door meeting with her caucus, the House speaker vented frustration with the massive version of the legislation.

“In its present form without any changes I don’t think it’s possible to pass the Senate bill in the House,” said Pelosi, D-Calif. “I don’t see the votes for it at this time.”

Among the issues that House lawmakers are unwilling to accept is the 40 percent excise tax on high-value insurance plans that unions earned an exemption from until 2018 after major backlash toward the Democratic-led Congress.”

Read more:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/01/21/pelosi-votes-pass-senate-health-house/

American Research Group poll, Scott Brown leads Martha Coakley, MA Senate race, January 15, 2010, Brown 94% Republicans, Coakley 71% Democrats

From American Research Group, January 15, 2010. Scott Brown leads Martha Coakley in the MA Senate race 48% to 45%.

“January 15, 2010 – Massachusetts US Senate

Massachusetts US Senate
1/14/2010 Brown Coakley Kennedy Undecided
 
Likely voters 48% 45% 2% 5%
 
Registration:        
Democrats (44%) 20% 71% 1% 8%
Republicans (20%) 94% 1% 5%
Unenrolled/
Other (36%)
58% 37% 4% 1%
 
Sex:        
Men (47%) 54% 39% 2% 5%
Women (53%) 44% 50% 2% 4%
 
Age:        
18-49 (43%) 52% 42% 2% 4%
50 plus (57%) 46% 47% 1% 6%

Republican Scott Brown leads Democrat Martha Coakley 48% to 45% in the special Massachusetts US Senate race to replace Senator Ted Kennedy in a telephone survey conducted January 12-14 among 600 likely voters in Massachusetts saying they will definitely vote in the special election on January 19. 

Brown leads Coakley 94% to 1% among registered Republicans and he leads 58% to 37% among unenrolled voters. Coakley leads Brown 71% to 20% among registered Democrats. A total of 8% of Democrats and 5% of Republicans remain undecided.

Brown leads 54% to 39% among men while Coakley leads 50% to 44% among women.

Brown leads 52% to 42% among likely voters age 18 to 49 and Coakley leads 47% to 46% among voters 50 and older.

A total of 9% of likely voters say they have already voted by absentee ballot, with Brown leading Coakley 58% to 42%.”

Read more:

http://www.americanresearchgroup.com/

Obama campaigns in MA, Obama to stump for endangered Massachusetts Democrat, Martha Coakley, Suffolk poll shows Scott Brown ahead of Coakley

From MSNBC, January 15, 2010.

“Obama to stump for endangered Mass. Dem
Poll shows GOP candidate up; race could tip Democrats’ 60-vote majority”

“BOSTON – His health care bill at stake, President Barack Obama plans a trip to Massachusetts to campaign for endangered Senate Democratic candidate Martha Coakley amid release of a poll showing an edge for the Republican Party in the race to fill a Senate seat Democrats have held for over a half-century.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said that Obama would appear at an event for Coakley in Boston on Sunday.

A Suffolk University survey released late Thursday showed that Brown, a Republican state senator, with 50 percent of the vote in the race to succeed the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy in this overwhelmingly Democratic state.

Coakley had 46 percent. That amounted to a statistical tie since it was within the poll’s 4.4 percentage point margin of error, but it was far different from a 15-point lead that Coakley, the Massachusetts attorney general, enjoyed in a Boston Globe survey released over the weekend.”

Read more:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34876791/ns/politics-more_politics/

“President Obama: Support Martha Coakley for U.S. Senate”

View this report from News 7 in Boston

Will Obama’s visit to MA help Martha Coakley or hurt her?

Martha Coakley Takes Money From Health Insurance Lobbyists, MA Republican Party ad video, Coakley ties to drug companies, Coakley fundraiser Washington DC, Health care lobbyists, Martha Coakley smear campaign, Health Care Bill

The MA Republican Party has a new video out accusing Martha Coakley of taking money from health insurance lobbyists.

“Martha Coakley says she holds health insurers accountable, then one day later, takes money from the very same health insurance lobbyists at a Washington fundraiser.”

Was this a fair portrayal of Coakley’s ties to lobbyists and drug companies?

You decide.

From the Washington Examiner, January 8, 2010.

“Coakley in trouble? Pharma and HMO lobbyists to the rescue”

“With Democrat Martha Coakley in trouble in the Massachusetts special election to fill Ted Kennedy’s seat, Democrats could lose vote No. 60 for President Obama’s health-care bill. In response, an army of lobbyists for drug companies, health insurance companies, and hospitals has teamed up to throw a high-dollar Capitol Hill fundraiser for Coakley next Tuesday night. The invitation is here.

Of the 22 names on the host committee–meaning they raised $10,000 or more for Coakley–17 are federally registered lobbyists, 15 of whom have health-care clients. Of the other five hosts, one is married to a lobbyist, one was a lobbyist in Pennsylvania, another is a lawyer at a lobbying firm, and another is a corporate CEO. Oh, and of course, there’s also the political action commitee for Boston Scientific Corporation.

All the leading drug companies have lobbyists on Coakley’s host committee: Pfizer, Merck, Amgen, Sanofi-Aventis, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Astra-Zeneca, and more. On the insurance side of things, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Cigna, Humana, HealthSouth, and United Health all are represented on the host committee.”

“Here are some of Coakley fundraiser hosts with some of their current health care clients:

Thomas Boggs, Patton Boggs: Bristol-Myers Squibb
Chuck Brain, Capitol Hill Strategies: Amgen, BIO, Merck, PhRMA
Susan Brophy, Glover Park Group: Blue Cross, Pfizer
Steven Champlin, Duberstein Group: AHIP, Novartis, Sanofi-Aventis
Licy Do Canto, Raben Group: Amgen
Gerald Cassidy, Cassidy & Associates: U. Mass Memorial Health Care
David Castagnetti, Mehlman, Vogel, Castagnetti: Abbot Labs, AHIP, Astra-Zenaca, General Electric, Humana, Merck, PhRMA.
Steven Elmendorf, Elmendorf Strategies: Medicines Company, PhRMA, United Health
Shannon Finley, Capitol Counsel: Amgen, Astra-Zeneca, Blue Cross, GE, PhRMA, Sanofi-Aventis.
Heather Podesta, Heather Podesta & Partners: Cigna, Eli Lilly, HealthSouth
Tony Podesta, Podesta Group: Amgen, GE, Merck, Novartis.
Robert Raben, Raben Group: Amgen, GE. ”

Read more:

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Coakley-in-trouble-Pharma-and-HMO-lobbyists-to-the-rescue-81067542.html

“Fox News Reports On Martha Coakley’s “Controversial” DC Fundraiser With Health Care Lobbyists”

“It won’t be the first time but Martha Coakley smeared Scott Brown tonight outside of her big Washington DC lobbyist fundraiser.

Martha Coakley is a smear merchant.
She already tried to tie Republican Scott Brown to Rush Limbaugh even though the two have never met.

Now tonight Martha Coakley tried to tie Scott Brown to “extreme right groups” who she says are pouring money into Massachusetts. She says this despite the fact that Brown raised over $1.3 million, mostly in small donations, in an online money bomb yesterday. And, she had the gall to say this outside of her Washington DC lobbyist fundraiser where 22 big-time lobbyists from drug, health care and insurance companies met tonight to help bail her campaign out.

Brian Maloney has more on Coakley’s big money fundraiser tonight.

As if Martha Coakleys support from the corrupt establishment wasnt already clear enough, now comes word that a coalition of sleazebag industry lobbyists have teamed up with Bay State Democrats for an eleventh-hour bailout of her faltering campaign.

Many of those involved in this hastily-organized rescue attempt have no Bay State ties, their only allegiance is to piggish K Street – Beltway lobbying firms.”

Scott Brown, Catholic Families for America endorsement, CFA, January 13, 2010, Voters of conscience, Not Kennedy seat, People’s seat

Catholic Families for America, CFA, has endorsed Scott Brown for the MA senate seat.

From the Christian News Wire, January 13, 2010.

“Catholic Families for America Endorses Scott Brown for Massachusetts Senate Seat”

“CFA Executive Director: “For voters of conscience in Massachusetts, the choice is clear: Scott Brown is a traditional values public servant who would bring a refreshing voice of common sense to the U. S. Senate. We applaud him for reminding the political class in Washington that this is not ‘the Kennedy seat — it’s the people’s seat.'””

WASHINGTON, Jan. 13 /Christian Newswire/ — Dr. Kevin Roberts, executive director of the Catholic grassroots advocacy group, Catholic Families for America (CFA), announced the organization’s endorsement of Scott Brown in next Tuesday’s special election for the U.S. Senate.



“”Scott would be such an upgrade on every major issue from the late Teddy Kennedy,” Roberts said. “Furthermore, his opponent, who espouses the same anti-life, anti-family, anti-values agenda that made Kennedy such a tragic figure to the Church, should give Catholic, Christian, and values voters an easy choice next Tuesday.””

“”Our republic cannot withstand a long period of liberal, anti-family super-majorities in Congress,” Roberts explained. “If Scott Brown surprises the pundits next week, then we know that the end is near for the abject failures of Pelosi, Reid, and Obama.””

Read more:

http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/5497512674.html

I love this response Scott Brown gave during the recent MA Senate Debate.

The Citizen Wells blog enthusiastically
endorses Scott Brown for the MA senate seat.

US Chamber of Commerce, Obama, Chamber pledges to stop Obama agenda, Play big role in November elections, President Thomas Donohue, Health care legislation, Fiscal insolvency, Valerie Jarrett

“Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.”…George Bernard Shaw

Those who can’t do, won’t do, have never successfully run a business and hate business are part of the Obama Administration…Citizen Wells

 

From USA Today, January 12, 2010.

“U.S. Chamber pledges to stop Obama agenda, play big role in Nov. elections”

“U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Thomas Donohue attacked President Obama’s domestic agenda Tuesday, criticizing Democratic efforts on climate change, health care and oversight of the nation’s financial system.

And he pledged to use the chamber’s might in November’s elections to take on the president’s allies in Congress.”

“The chamber will carry out “the largest, most aggressive” campaign in its 100-year history as it works to influence the outcome of mid-term congressional elections and stop legislation it views as harmful to the economy, he said. “As Americans choose a new House and senators this fall,” Donohue added, “the chamber will highlight lawmakers and candidates who support a pro-jobs agenda and hold accountable those who don’t.””

Read more:

http://blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics/2010/01/us-chamber-pledges-to-stop-obama-agenda-play-big-role-in-nov-elections.html

Apparently Obama and US Chamber of Commerce President Thomas Donohue are not good buddies. Of course, the Obama Administration, a model of business acumen and job creation, has it’s answer to the US Chamber of Commerce in the Business Roundtable. Valerie Jarrett is the president’s liaison to the corporate world. You remember Jarrett.

“I was in the process of reporting more on Valerie Jarrett and her past ties to corruption in Chicago and I will do so. For now, Michelle Malkin does an excellent job in this video of exposing the truth about Obama and Jarrett and their motives for getting the Olympics for Chicago.”…Valerie Jarrett, corrupt slumlord Obama friend

From the LA Times, October 25, 2009.

“White House confronts the U.S. Chamber of Commerce”

“WASHINGTON — The Obama White House, stepping in where other Democrats feared to tread, has launched a potentially risky fight with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce — attempting to bypass the nation’s most powerful business organization and develop independent ties to corporate America.

In recent weeks, President Obama, his Energy secretary and one of his other most senior advisors have begun criticizing the chamber publicly, casting it as a profligate lobbying organization at odds with its members in opposing the administration on such issues as consumer protection and climate change.

At the same time, the administration has been meeting privately with prominent corporate leaders — more than 60 of them since June — in an effort to develop its own pipeline to the business community.
The White House also has gone out of its way to cultivate another corporate group, the Business Roundtable, which is much smaller than the chamber but represents chief executives of many of the nation’s largest corporations.

“Our strategy is to reach out directly to the business community,” said Valerie Jarrett, the president’s liaison to the corporate world. “This is a shift. Previously, the chamber had served as the sole intermediary for business. That’s not our approach.”

Jarrett praised the Business Roundtable, saying that it brings member CEOs to White House meetings in addition to Washington lobbyists.

In an indirect dig at the chamber, Jarrett said the roundtable meetings were more substantive and valuable because they included not just a trade association leader but someone who actually runs a business.

The White House role in criticizing the chamber has, predictably, riled Republicans. But it also has made some Democrats nervous.”

Read more:

http://articles.latimes.com/2009/oct/25/nation/na-chamber25

Here are some exerpts from the speech of US Chamber of Commerce President Thomas Donohue, January 12, 2010.

“Think for a moment about the nation’s job creators—the men and women who run our small and large businesses—as well as those who lead our universities, our health care facilities and the many other institutions that employ our workforce. If you were in their shoes today, would you jump quickly into new investments and hiring? Or would you wait for some clarity, and some common sense, to take hold first?

Most of these job creators would like nothing more than to keep their workers employed, create new jobs, and bring some hope and relief to families struggling without a paycheck. But when they look at what’s going on in Washington, in the states, and around the world, what do they see?

They see massive tax increases on the horizon—not just the expiration of the tax cuts passed over the last decade, but also hundreds of billions of dollars in new taxes.

They see health care legislation that contains a burdensome mandate on employers and virtually no meaningful reforms to improve quality or control costs.

They see a climate change bill and potential EPA regulations that could significantly raise energy prices and impose new layers of bureaucracy on their organizations.

They see financial services legislation moving forward that could choke off their access to capital at a time when lending is already very tight.

America’s job creators also see a renewed push by unions to pass card check and many other measures to control the workplace.

They see the trial bar working with their allies in Congress and with many state attorneys general to expand opportunities for new litigation.

They see the rise of trade isolationism at home and abroad that could threaten their export markets—and now, renewed fears about terrorism.

And our job creators see the federal government planning to expand the national debt by at least $9 trillion over the next decade—more debt than has been piled up in all previous years since George Washington. They see many states going broke as well. What will the impact be on their companies and employees?

These are the uncertainties that job creators are wrestling with—uncertainties that call into question how quick or strong our economic recovery will be. And no one is paying a higher price than the American worker.

Over seven million Americans have lost their jobs since the recession began. Ten percent of the workforce is unemployed—a number that soars beyond 17 percent when you add those who have stopped looking for jobs and the millions of part-time workers who want to work full-time.”

Read more:

http://www.uschamber.com/press/speeches/2010/100112_sab

By the way, the Chamber of Commerce of a major NC city, was my first business account assigned to me when I was young. It was a pleasure to present this article.

MA senate debate video, January 11, 2010, Scott Brown, Martha Coakley, Joseph L Kennedy, Youtube video, Cspan video

*** Update below  1:20 PM, EST ***

The MA senate debate between Scott Brown, Martha Coakley and  Joseph L Kennedy took place last night January 11, 2010 at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Here is a Youtube video with portions of video from Fox 25, Boston and News 22, WWLP, Springfield, MA. Links to the complete videos are below.


http://www.myfoxboston.com/dpp/news/p…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgT_TS…

Cspan video.

http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/291174-1

This post will be updated later today.

***  Update  ***

The Boston Globe provided interactive comments during the debate.

At 7:02 PM poll results were presented

What candidate do you support?
Scott Brown (R)  

 
 ( 71% )
Martha Coakley (D)

 
 ( 25% )
Joseph L. Kennedy (I)

 
 ( 4% )

Comments

6:52
Andrew Phelps (WBUR): 

We’ll be watching and talking about the Senate debate, which starts at 7 p.m. sharp.

Monday January 11, 2010 6:52 Andrew Phelps (WBUR)
6:53
Andrew Phelps (WBUR): 

Our guest bloggers this evening are Renee Loth, columnist for The Boston Globe; Ralph Ranalli, WGBH’s “Greater Boston”; and Julie Mehegan, deputy editorial page editor of The Boston Herald.

Monday January 11, 2010 6:53 Andrew Phelps (WBUR)
6:53
Andrew Phelps (WBUR): 

The debate will be broadcast on television and radio stations throughout Massachusetts.

Monday January 11, 2010 6:53 Andrew Phelps (WBUR)
6:59
Julie Mehegan (Herald): 

Those who plan to vote but haven’t paid attention at all to this race will probably be tuning in tonight, and the candidates know it.  Big stakes.

Monday January 11, 2010 6:59 Julie Mehegan (Herald)
7:00
[Comment From BrianBrian: ] 

Brown is raising a lot more money than I thought he would today…

Monday January 11, 2010 7:00 Brian
7:00
[Comment From Allen GAllen G: ] 

Watching from Tennessee

Monday January 11, 2010 7:00 Allen G
7:01
[Comment From SteveSteve: ] 

Watching from northern Virginia.

Monday January 11, 2010 7:01 Steve
7:01
[Comment From ChristopherChristopher: ] 

Watching from Kalifornia

Monday January 11, 2010 7:01 Christopher
7:01
[Comment From Chris PChris P: ] 

Watching from Virginia (former Mass resident)

Monday January 11, 2010 7:01 Chris P
7:02
[Comment From mlsmls: ] 

logging in from texas…y’all hold the fate of our nation in your hand. do the right thing mass voters!

7:02
[Comment From LindaLinda: ] 

Watching from Florida…go Scott!

Monday January 11, 2010 7:02 Linda
7:02
Ralph Ranalli – WGBH: 

Complacency on the Democratic side will be the biggest enemy.

Monday January 11, 2010 7:02 Ralph Ranalli – WGBH
7:02
[Comment From JoannaJoanna: ] 

Watching from Jacksonville, FL Go SCOTT

Monday January 11, 2010 7:02 Joanna
7:02
[Comment From AndrewAndrew: ] 

watching from Pennsylvania! Go Brown!!!!

Monday January 11, 2010 7:02 Andrew
7:02
[Comment From Jo ElizabethJo Elizabeth: ] 

Go Scott Brown!!!!!! Florida support 110%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Read all comments:

Scott Brown, Martha Coakley, Joseph Kennedy debate, January 11, 2010, MA Senate debate, Boston.com

From Boston.com, January 11, 2010.

Debate begins at 7:00PM EST 

 

“The US Senate debate

The US Senate candidates from Massachusetts: Democrat Martha Coakley, Republican Scott Brown, and Independent Joseph L. Kennedy, are facing off in a final debate tonight. Watch and discuss as the debate unfolds live.”

Thanks to Phil of the Right Side of Life.

http://www.therightsideoflife.com

Government control of our lives, Health Care Bill, Larry Sinclair, Social Security Administration, Obama, Biden, Barack Obama & Larry Sinclair: Cocaine, Sex, Lies & Murder, We pay, They control

“There’s something happening here
What it is ain’t exactly clear
There’s a man with a gun over there
Telling me I got to beware” 

“Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you’re always afraid
You step out of line,
the man come and take you away”… “For what it’s worth”  Buffalo Springfield

 

Larry Sinclair is being controlled by the Social Security Administration again. Even if Sinclair was not a threat to the Obama Administration, he would still be at the mercy of government bureaucrats. I know about this first hand and will report on this in the near future. This is the spectre of Government run health care. We pay and they control.
The paperback version of Larry Sinclair’s book is now available. Get your copy of only 1000 Signed/Numbered copies of the Paperback edition of “Barack Obama & Larry Sinclair: Cocaine, Sex, Lies & Murder.”
http://www.larrysinclair.com/
Perhaps some of you were more skeptical of Larry Sinclair’s story a year ago. Anyone paying attention should find Sinclair’s story very plausible now.
Here is Larry Sinclair’s latest encounter with the Social Security Administration.

“Social Security Administration used again to Harass & Intimidate Larry Sinclair: Instant Replay of Joe Biden’s Abuse of  Office and mis-use of SSA in 2008.

I have been ill for the past few days and only today felt well enough to go check my mail. In my mail box was a letter from Alvin L. Crummell, District Manager for Social Security Administration.

I have been ordered to appear at the Social Security Office “before January 14, 2010…” for, “…We need to review your SSI record in order to determine that you continue to be eligible to receive benefits.”

I will appear at the office tomorrow, January 11, 2010 (the letter is dated January 8, 2010) with camera and digital voice recorder in hand. I will record the entire meeting which I have every right to do (and will do so for my own protection.)

I believe it is interesting that Social Security wants to now “review” the record when my physical condition has continued to worsen because Medicaid and University of Florida/Shands Jacksonville refuse to perform procedures requested by Doctors.

This “review” and letter is nothing more than an attempt to harass and intimidate me because I refuse to shut up and continue to push Barack Obama to come clean. This never ending harassment by the White House, DCCC and Obama idiots would have made a weaker person go postal already. Well the continued picking at this sore is only going to cause it to fester until the puss explodes. Keep picking!

These continued tactics for more than 2 years now should make people finally realize, I Larry Sinclair have been telling the TRUTH all along and the Obama administration and the DCCC know it.

I will be sending a fax to Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Rahm Emmanuel and David Axelrod at the White House tomorrow making it clear  I will devote every minute of my life to destroying Barack Obama if these back door tactics are not stopped immediately and the gutless, lying coward does not man up and either admit or deny my claims against him.  I have already called Rahm Emmanuel’s office at 202-456-6798 and will do so when he is in tomorrow to make it clear to him I will not be threatened, harassed or intimidated any longer by the White House and its cowardly lions. Feel free to contact these Chicago Thugs and call them out.  Barack Obama and Michelle Obama know the contents of, “Barack Obama & Larry Sinclair: Cocaine, Sex, Lies & Murder” are true and that is the only reason Obama and his funky flunkies Axelrod, Emmanuel, Biden and others continue to illegally use the IRS, Social Security and other agencies to continue to come after me. They failed with their false claim of Blackmail during the campaign, they failed when then Senator Biden made false statements to SSA in June of 2008, and they will fail this time as well.”
Read more from Larry Sinclair:

 
http://www.larrysinclair.com/

Mayo Clinic, Medicare, No longer accept new Medicare patients, Obama praised Mayo Clinic, Mayo lost $840 million last year on Medicare, Medicare Trust Fund going bankrupt

From BNET, January 4, 2010.

“Mayo Clinic Bridles at Medicare Payments”

“The Mayo Clinic, which has been praised by President Obama as an exemplar for the healthcare industry, will no longer accept new Medicare patients at a primary-care clinic in Glendale, AZ, a Phoenix suburb. While this office serves only a small portion of Mayo’s 526,000 patients in Minnesota, Arizona, and Florida, the organization says that the Glendale clinic is part of a 2-year pilot that will determine whether Mayo continues taking care of Medicare patients at other facilities. Meanwhile, the 3,000 Medicare patients who see family doctors at the Glendale office will have to pay nearly $2,000 a year out of pocket if they want to stay with their physicians.
Mayo is going in this direction because it lost $840 million last year on Medicare. Its Arizona hospital and four primary-care clinics lost $120 million. Nationwide, physicians earn about 20 percent less from Medicare than they do from private payers, but there’s no evidence that most are losing money on Medicare. In a Bloomberg article, Dr. Robert Berenson of the Urban Institute is quoted as saying that some primary-care physicians can afford to do without Medicare “because there is an unlimited demand for their services.” In areas where private health plans pay much more, Medicare looks like a poor payer, he adds.
Nevertheless, the Mayo experiment highlights the grim realities facing Medicare. Even at the current payment rates, the payroll-tax-funded Medicare Trust Fund, which covers inpatient care, is expected to go bankrupt in 2017. General tax revenues and beneficiary premiums guarantee the solvency of Medicare Part B, the outpatient program, but neither higher taxes nor the current rise in premiums is popular. Cutting doctors’ fees is not politically acceptable, either. To keep those fees stable for the next decade, the House recently passed a supplemental spending bill of nearly $200 billion, and the Senate is expected to follow suit, in return for the AMA’s support of its reform bill.”

Read more:

http://industry.bnet.com/healthcare/10001573/mayo-clinic-bridles-at-medicare-payments/

Thanks to my good friend Bill for the info.