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CBPP Conf. Call Briefing on Achieving Health Care Savings Without Harming Low-Income Beneficiaries

Posted on: Friday, 7 October 2005, 18:00 CDT

News Advisory:

WHAT: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Conference Call: Congress Could Achieve Health Care Savings Without Harming Low- Income Beneficiaries - If It Is Willing To Take On Special Interests That Receive Excessive Payments

WHEN: Wednesday, Oct. 12 at 11 a.m. (EDT)

Register: http://www.cbpp.org/confcall.htm

WHO: Center staff:

-- Robert Greenstein, executive director

-- Victoria Wachino, health policy director

-- Edwin Park, senior health policy analyst

-- Sharon Parrott, director of the Welfare Reform & Income Support Division

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities will hold a media conference call briefing on Wednesday, Oct. 12 at 11 a.m. (ET) to discuss two new Center papers on ways Congress can find savings in health care programs without harming vulnerable groups, including low-income families and individuals.

During the week of Oct. 17, the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Senate Finance Committee are scheduled to consider legislation to cut programs under their jurisdictions by at least $10 billion over the next five years, as required by this year's congressional budget resolution. It has been widely assumed that these committees will take many of the cuts out of Medicaid, the program that provides health care to low-income children, parents, seniors, and people with disabilities. Some of the approaches under consideration would significantly increase cost-sharing requirements on beneficiaries, which studies show lead some of those beneficiaries to put off needed care, or restrict coverage for some health services.

The conference call briefing will discuss two new Center analyses showing how Congress could achieve the targeted savings without harming low-income beneficiaries. In June, the Medicare Payment Advisory Committee (MedPAC), Congress' expert advisory body on Medicare payments, reported that Medicare will make billions of dollars in excessive payments to certain managed care plans in coming years. MedPAC called for reforms that would save $20 billion to $30 billion over five years. Congress also could secure substantial savings by ensuring that Medicaid uses its purchasing power to get better prices from drug manufacturers, as well as from pharmacists. Taking such steps will require that Congress take on powerful lobbies.

After opening remarks, the panelists will take questions.

To participate, please register by e-mailing bazie(At)cbpp.org, or calling the media team at 202-408-1080. Register on-line at http:/ /www.cbpp.org/confcall.htm.

http://www.usnewswire.com

Source: U.S. Newswire

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