Obama Embraces Four GOP Health Care Proposals

President Obama expressed his support for four Republican proposals on health care reform today, but the items don't address core GOP complaints and are unlikely to be game-changers. In a letter to congressional leaders, the president said he supported investments in malpractice tort reform, increasing Medicaid reimbursements for physicians, efforts to combat fraud, and a provision to allow people who get their insurance from one of the proposed "exchanges" to be able to use health savings accounts.

Obama also noted that his proposal does not include some ideas from the previous bills that faced Republican criticism, such as proposed changes to the Medicare Advantage program and the handouts given to Ben Nelson and Nebraska. The White House considers the letter a herald of the "final act" of the health care reform effort, reports the Washington Post. Either it will convince some Republicans to support the legislation, or be used as evidence by Democrats that bipartisanship was thwarted.
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