Teetering on the Edge of the Fiscal Cliff: An Exclusive Interview with CHIME’s Sharon Canner

It’s hard for me to believe that Medicare physician reimbursement won’t take some hit at some point; after all, $300 billion is a lot of money.

It is a lot of money. But the physician relationship with the patient is more personal than the hospital relationship with patients; and physicians are well-known in their communities.

What should healthcare leaders look for, in the coming week? It’s hard to believe that the leaders of the two national political parties will resolve all the unresolved issues in this situation within the next week.

What I’m hearing is that they might be able to strike a deal on the broader outlines, and then they’ll come back and work out the details. It’s very important to reassure the financial markets; and the markets have been relatively calm until now. The Dow was up all week, and it was a little bit off the other day, but it hasn’t crashed. But the GOP in particular does not want to signal to the markets that things are going south, because things really will go south in the markets, then.

We’re really talking about their having just a few days now before they run out of time? Some of the media commentators have noted that it’s highly unlikely that something could happen this month if a deal isn’t struck by Dec. 17, next Monday, because it will take at least a few days to draft the legislation itself.

Yes; so if they come up with something, it will be a more general statement of principles. But this has to happen, and the President holds a lot of the cards.

So you think concern for the power and influence of providers in their communities will moderate some of the potential cuts to Medicare?

I think so. Healthcare has a huge influence in communities, yes.

But there will be some cuts, inevitably, to Medicare?

Yes, I'm certain that some Medicare cuts are inevitable.