Debt Commission Could Target Medicare and Medicaid for Spending Cuts

Tags: budget | debt | Medicaid | Medicare

At the first meeting of the bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, members of the Obama administration indicated that Medicare and Medicaid are fair game for spending cuts to help balance the national budget, according to a report in American Medical News.

The commission, established by executive order in February, is expected to submit recommendations to the president by Dec. 1. Congress will then vote on its proposals, according to the report.

At the initial meeting, President Obama acknowledged that the rising costs of federal health entitlement programs have contributed to the nation's fiscal challenges, saying that "Everything has to be on the table."

Read American Medical News' report on the White House's debt commission.

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