The 'Doc Fix' is in
ObamaCare was scored by the Congressional Budget Office to reflect cuts in Medicare payments to doctors and other healthcare providers. This was absurd. Everyone knows this is just a tactic used by politicians to make healthcare plans appear to be more affordable to get them passed by Congress.
In this case, Obamacare was passed with the illusion that these cuts would occur. But the fix was in-in more ways than one. The so-called "doctor fix" trick was used again. After the bill was passed, Congressional Democrats (fearful of riling up doctors and seniors) now want to eliminate those cuts and pay more out in Medicare. To add insult to injury, Obama wants to distract people from the fraud that was imposed on them by directing attacks on Republicans who supposedly want to hurt doctors and seniors.
I thought Obama promised change in politics and transparency; I thought he ran against cynicism and hypocrisy.
A fraud was perpetrated on the American people.
In his weekly address, President Obama pushes Senate Republicans to allow a vote on the "doc fix":
"This year, a majority of Congress is willing to prevent a pay cut of 21 percent - a pay cut that would undoubtedly force some doctors to stop seeing Medicare patients altogether. But this time, some Senate Republicans may even block a vote on this issue," Obama said, accusing the GOP of "walk[ing] away from the needs of our doctors and our seniors."
But Don Stewart, spokesman for House Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, said that "the President's weekly address today doesn't make sense," since "the Senate is already debating the bill."
"Remember, the question isn't whether to do a Doc Fix or not," Stewart said. "The question is whether to add it to the debt or not."
By the way, doesn't this reek of the "politics of fear" that Bush was accused of playing by Democrats?