Dems call on Obama to set target for healthcare cost savings
Four Democratic senators sent a letter to the Obama Administration calling on the president to set a specific cost-savings target to help focus federal efforts and to give the general public a clearer sense of the savings potential.
Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) wrote: "With so many voices in Washington calling for cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, cost savings through delivery system reforms are key to preserving and strengthening these programs without hurting the middle class. Without a specific target declared by the executive branch of government, advocates for such a strategy are left at sea in this debate.”
In addition to Whitehouse, Schumer, Murphy, and Baldwin, the letter also was signed by Sens. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Tim Johnson (D-SD), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Mark Warner (D-VA), Mark Begich (D-AK), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Angus King (I-ME) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).
They pointed out in the letter that several studies have estimated possible savings from $700 billion to $1 trillion per year in the U.S. healthcare system without negatively affecting the quality of care. Since the federal government is responsible for 40 percent of total healthcare spending through Medicare, Medicaid and other programs, pursuing these savings could reduce the deficit by hundreds of billions of dollars over the next 10 years.
In addition to the letter, several senators gave a series of coordinated senate floor speeches Tuesday night.
Editor
Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.