No vacations for the Senate ‘gang of six’ (Democratic Sens. Baucus, Bingaman and Conrad; and Republican Sens. Grassley, Enzi and Snowe). They are still meeting to try to craft a bipartisan solution, just not in DC. They must be hiding out from the very raucous ‘town hall circus events.’ Maybe they’re worried that the alleged death panels might be intended for them if they can’t come up with something tangible soon.

Baucus said on Thursday that he was reaching a bipartisan accord that would reduce spending over the House (H.R. 3200) and Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions bills. How he would do that is still not fully clear, but he would hit up Medicare Advantage plans, hospitals, and PhRMA as previously noted, and he would cut the $230 billion in H.R. 3200 to eliminate the SGRrrr back to a one year fix for $11 billion. He’s kicking the can down the road again. We’d have to lobby in 2010 to find $285 billion to prevent monumental cuts in 2011. Give me a break. The House bill (and AMA) is right here! Get ‘er done, folks. But what do you bet there will be no tort reform in there?

*** Image from Flickr (Dakotilla).***

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