Senate budget plan released

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Mike Enzi (R-WY) today unveiled the committee’s budget plan for fiscal year 2016, which would repeal the Affordable Care Act and adopt the president’s overall Medicare reductions of nearly $431 billion over 10 years. The plan would balance the budget over 10 years; repeal and replace the ACA with “reserve funds” for legislation that “strengthens the doctor-patient relationship, expands choice, and lowers health care costs"; repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board; and direct congressional committees to achieve the nearly $431 billion in Medicare savings. In addition, the plan would direct the Senate Finance and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committees to report by July 31 changes in laws within their jurisdictions to achieve savings in FY 2016 (so-called reconciliation instructions), and modernize Medicaid based on the Children’s Health Insurance Program by increasing state flexibility in designing benefits and administering its programs. The committee began marking up the resolution today and will conclude tomorrow.