“Super Committee” Meets, CBO Estimates Impact of Sequestration - September 13, 2011

All eyes in Washington have been focused on the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, or “Super Committee.” The “Super Committee” held an organizational meeting at the end of last week, during which members made their opening statements and considered committee rules. They will meet again on Sept. 13, when they will hold their first hearing on “The History and Drivers of Our Nation's Debt and Its Threats." Dr. Douglas Elmendorf, director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), will be the key witness at that hearing.

On Sept. 12, the CBO released its estimate of the impact of the across-the-board cuts from sequestration that would be implemented should the “Super Committee’s” recommendations fail to be enacted. Under the cuts from sequestration, Medicare would face a 2 percent decrease in payments to providers and Medicaid would be spared entirely. These health care sector cuts would be smaller than the cuts and options likely to be weighed by the “Super Committee.”

NAPH remains active in influencing Congress and the “Super Committee” on issues key to safety net providers, and will continue to provide updates on the “Super Committee’s” work. NAPH will be hosting members next week at its Fall Conference and Clinicians Legislative Event, during which safety net leaders will work to educate Congress on the critical work of public hospitals and the importance of protecting Medicaid.