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Deal on hospital costs near
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Carrie Budoff Brown and Chris Frates of Politico.com report that the White House and Senate Finance Chair Max Baucus have reached a deal with the three largest hospital associations to cut $150 in costs over the next ten years to help pay for healthcare reform. (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0709/24477.html)
"There are still details to be resolved, but the negotiations have moved far enough along that the parties have discussed a Tuesday announcement. Yet some of the industry players involved are reluctant to announce a deal without President Barack Obama, who will be traveling abroad next week, according to one health industry source who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private negotiations.
"An agreement with the hospital groups would boost Baucus’ effort to hold together an unwieldy coalition of industry, union and consumer groups working to pass a health care reform bill – rather than having some of the groups pouring money into campaigns against it.
"Baucus and the White House reached a deal two weeks ago with the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association to put $50 billion towards a reform bill and $30 billion to defray drug costs for senior citizens."
