Washington Update: Medicare, ‘doc-fix’ and the ‘fiscal cliff’

As the clock counts down to the December 31 deadline for the so-called “fiscal cliff,” the negotiations between the White House and congressional Republicans reveal just how vulnerable healthcare providers are to potential reimbursement cuts and added policy mandates, as the federal government struggles to resolve many budget and healthcare policy issues.

One healthcare leader with his ear to the political ground is Blair Childs, senior vice president for public affairs at the Charlotte, N.C.-based Premier healthcare alliance. As an exceptionally thoughtful and well-connected advocacy director, Childs has played a key role in educating members of Congress about the implications their legislative choices will have for healthcare providers and the healthcare delivery system, especially long-term care.

In a Q&A this week with Mark Hagland, Editor-in-Chief of our sister publication Healthcare Informatics, Childs discusses the fiscal cliff, including his thoughts on the "doc fix,” the “flawed” readmissions policy under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and possible add-ons to the ACA for skilled nursing.

Read the full Q&A on our sister site: What’s Happening With the “Fiscal Cliff”? Premier’s Blair Childs Explains

Pamela Tabar

Pamela Tabar was editor-in-chief of I Advance Senior Care from 2013-2018. She has worked as a writer and editor for healthcare business media since 1998, including as News Editor of Healthcare Informatics. She has a master’s degree in journalism from Kent State University and a master’s degree in English from the University of York, England.