Amidst the federal budget crisis, GOP House and Senate negotiators continued to sort out final details of Medicare restructuring, aiming for a vote before Thanksgiving. Tort reform appeared dead, but could resurface in a later bill. Compromise language on provider service organizations would give the states a greater regulatory role than they would have had in the House bill. The fate of other physician-friendly provisions remained uncertain. As doctors' business operations become increasingly tangled in integrated delivery systems and other ventures, they could risk losing the tax benefits of independence.
Proponents see the new rules as an opening for providers to wrest back control of medicine.
Opponents argue that they're a gamble with the public health and purse . Two forward, one back The number of uninsured in Tennessee has dropped to the lowest among the 50 states, according to a recent survey evaluating the impact of TennCare. Meanwhile, Vermont proceeded with a scaled-down version of its Medicaid expansion plans, while the Massachusetts legislature was considering a bill to delay once again the implementation of its employer mandate. Back to top. Protease inhibitors are seen as a potent new drug class, but high prices could limit access.