NEWS FLASH

Health Care Industry Braces For Double Whammy Of Health Cuts | As The Hill’s Sam Baker points out, health care providers may be on the hook for two rounds of cuts before the end of the year:

1) The triggers in the debt ceiling proposal would enact “across-the-board reductions that would cut up to 2 percent of Medicare’s total spending” to providers if the so-called super committee does not agree on a proposal to reduce spending. Even if it does agree, the group could target government reimbursements to hospitals and doctors.

2) At the end of the year, “the latest short-term patch to Medicare physician payment rates is set to expire,” meaning Medicare doctors will face another round of cuts.