President Obama released his plan to cut the deficit and Medicare is being asked to help pay the piper. His plan also gives additional power to the unpopular Independent Payment Advisory Board, an appointed body that will be charged with cutting Medicare spending.

President Barack Obama

In other Medicare news, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission gave more details on its plan to replace the Sustainable Growth Rate formula. Radiologists and the American College of Physicians came out against the plan, which freezes payments to primary care for the next decade.

For more on that and details about yet another court hearing on the Affordable Care Act, listen to this week’s Policy & Practice Podcast.

Stay tuned next week for updates on potential Supreme Court action on the health law and more.

—Frances Correa (@FMCReporting on Twitter)

09/26/11