The two presidential candidates’ health plans are getting more intense scrutiny as the nation draws closer to the November election. Last week, Families USA issued a side-by-side comparison of the health plan enacted in Massachusetts under then-Governor Mitt Romney, his current proposals, and the Affordable Care Act.
The group also said President Obama would do more to ensure Medicare’s solvency—a claim hotly disputed on the campaign trail by Mr. Romney and his vice presidential running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.).
Alicia Ault/IMNG Medical Media
Jonathan Gruber, M.I.T. economist who advised Families USA
A recent Kaiser poll indicates that more voters are concerned about Medicare than the health reform law.
Finally, in a separate move last week, the Obama Administration said it was taking steps to protect Medicare against fraudulent billing by hospitals using electronic health records. HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius warned providers that the government was auditing for upcoding for work that wasn’t done. Physicians have to be careful, too.
For more on that and the other stories, take a listen to this week’s Policy & Practice podcast.
--- Alicia Ault (on Twitter @aliciaault)