Medicare Conferees Continue
to Meet; CBO Estimates Exceed $400 Billion
July 25, 2003 - The Medicare conferees July 24 reconciled
differences between the House and Senate Medicare bills'
regulatory reform provisions. Meanwhile, the Congressional
Budget Office (CBO) has revised its estimates of both bills
and the estimates exceed the budget resolution's $400 billion
limit over 10 years.
The regulatory reform provisions attempt to streamline the
regulatory process and ease regulatory burdens for providers.
The provisions cost little money and are similar in the both
bills.
Following the release of the CBO's scoring of the two bills,
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas (R-Calif.)
and Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Billy Tauzin (R-La.),
both conferees, July 22 issued a statement committing themselves
"to strengthening and improving Medicare" for today
and tomorrow's seniors. Reps. Thomas and Tauzin also "pledged
to keep the cost of [the] Medicare conference report under
the $400 billion figure agreed upon in the Budget Resolution."
CBO estimated cost of the House-passed legislation at $408
billion over 10 years and the Senate-passed bill at $462 billion
over 10 years.
Information:
Lynne Davis Boyle, Assistant Vice President
AAMC Office of Governmental Relations
ldavisboyle@aamc.org
(202) 828-0526
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