As Republicans and Democrats battle over a solution to the nation’s debt crisis, doctors’ groups are voicing their desire to see a permanent solution to the Sustainable Growth Rate formula (SGR) as part of that package. Some physicians see the debt ceiling debate as the last chance for quite a while to reach a real solution.
Photo credit: Flickr user SqueakyMarmot
Meanwhile, government official revealed several new Affordable Care Act initiatives including Consumer Oriented and Operated Plans — or CO-OPs — and bundled payments for Medicare.
Also, at the behest of the Health and Human Services department, an expert panel of the Institute of Medicine released its list of recommended preventive health care services for women. Under the ACA, health plans must cover preventive services proscribed by HHS without cost sharing beginning in 2014. The list of recommendations includes birth control, emergency contraception, gestational diabetes screening, HPV testing for women over 30, and STD counseling.
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—Frances Correa (@FMCReporting on Twitter)