President Barack Obama opened up health care legislation to four Republican proposals in the hopes of adding a bipartisan edge that would help the legislation out of Congressional gridlock.
The ideas accepted by the President include sending investigators posing as patients into medical facilities to unearth fraud and identify waste, widening the use of health savings accounts, increasing payments to Medicaid providers, and improving medical malpractice reform programs.
The ideas were introduced last week at a bipartisan healthcare summit and addressed by President Obama in a letter addressed to Congressional leaders. In addition to the proposals listed, he also requested for the elimination of a special deal for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries in Florida. The clause garnered Republican criticism at the summit, particularly from former Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator, John McCain. The changes were made as an alternative to the overhaul suggested by the GOP.
President Obama prefers to make individual tweaks to the bill in order to craft legislation that is both effective and includes insight of both parties. "I said throughout this process that I'd continue to draw on the best ideas from both parties, and I'm open to these proposals in that spirit," he wrote in the letter.
Whether this attitude shift and the proposed amendments in the legislation will help gain Republican votes in Congress remains to be seen.
About EQUITIES:
Since 1951, EQUITIES Magazine has been a leading media company providing business editorial content designed to serve the needs of business leaders, professionals, institutional investors and retail investors. We are focused on business and the business of making money, not on lifestyle subjects. We publish original reporting in print and on our website, as well as select content at www.nasdaq.com. For 28 years we have hosted our own branded investor conferences that connect public company CEO’s with our loyal readers in the investment community.
Sign up for a free one-year subscription
