--- title: Doc Fix: Congress Could Solve Perennial Medicare Headache description: Congress is on the verge of solving a perennial headache: A flawed formula for Medicare reimbursement rates that it's patched for years. canonical: https://time.com/3759213/doc-fix-medicare-reform/ author: Alex Rogers article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-03-26T03:45:09.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T05:27:00.983Z article:section: Politics og:title: Congress to Solve Problem It Created 18 Years Ago og:description: A bipartisan deal would solve a perennial headache. og:url: https://time.com/3759213/doc-fix-medicare-reform/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt43cadf6a14368a06/698783f9a988ca66a66acf64/john-boehner-politics-t100.jpg?branch=production&width=268&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 268 og:image:height: 151 og:image:alt: House Republicans Vote On A New Majority Leader To Replace Cantor og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Congress to Solve Problem It Created 18 Years Ago twitter:description: A bipartisan deal would solve a perennial headache. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt43cadf6a14368a06/698783f9a988ca66a66acf64/john-boehner-politics-t100.jpg?branch=production&width=268&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Congress to Solve Problem It Created 18 Years Ago > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=9bb40d63-0d26-4184-a5b3-13d6c7f8d139&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=9bb40d63-0d26-4184-a5b3-13d6c7f8d139&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=9bb40d63-0d26-4184-a5b3-13d6c7f8d139&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=9bb40d63-0d26-4184-a5b3-13d6c7f8d139&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) by [Alex Rogers](https://time.com/author/alex-rogers/) ## Alex Rogers Mar 26, 2015 3:45 AM UTC  U.S. House Speaker John Boehner, a Republican from Ohio, speaks during his weekly news conference at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Thursday, June 19, 2014\. Boehner said terrorism has spread "exponentially" during President Barack Obama's administration and that Obama needs an "overall strategy" to stem the rise of terrorism in the Middle East. Photographer: Pete Marovich/Bloomberg via Getty Images U.S. House Speaker John Boehner, a Republican from Ohio, speaks during his weekly news conference at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Thursday, June 19, 2014\. Boehner said terrorism has spread "exponentially" during President Barack Obama's administration and that Obama needs an "overall strategy" to stem the rise of terrorism in the Middle East. Photographer: Pete Marovich/Bloomberg via Getty Images Pete Marovich—Bloomberg/Getty Images by [Alex Rogers](https://time.com/author/alex-rogers/) ## Alex Rogers Mar 26, 2015 3:45 AM UTC Congress is on the verge of permanently solving a problem it created for itself 18 years ago. The House expects to pass a major health care reform bill Thursday that would solve a recurring headache: a flawed formula for Medicare payments for doctors. For years, Congress has passed short-term patches—17 in all—temporarily fixing the problem just before doctors were slated to see their reimbursements drop suddenly. Now, ahead of an April 1 deadline that would slice the Medicare payment rate by 21 percent, House leaders have struck a compromise that would permanently resolve the issue, roughly splitting the costs between beneficiaries and providers. The deal has garnered support from both [progressive budget](http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=5288) groups and anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist. “It’s time we did this,” says House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers. “We’ve been crutching along on one cane for all these years and finally we’re facing up to the responsibility of getting it over with.” Negotiated by Speaker John Boehner and Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, the House bill would make wealthy seniors pay [up to 15% more](http://time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/bills-114hr2ih.pdf) in premiums beginning in 2018 and extend for two years funding for community health centers and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which faces its own spending deadline this fall. The bill would cost [$141 billion](http://www.cbo.gov/publication/50053) over the next ten years, which will peel away support from some deficit hawks, even though it’s about a billion less than just kicking the can down the road. “That’s pretty darn impressive,” says Senate Finance Chairman Orrin Hatch of the deal, which was easier to make than in years past as Medicare spending on physician services has [dropped](http://www.brookings.edu/research/opinions/2014/01/14-medicare-physician-payment-reform-mcclellan-patel-sanghavi). “It looks like to me it solves a problem that has been out there for about 18 years now, of a pay for that clearly was a phony pay-for,” adds Missouri Republican Sen. Roy Blunt. “It was a pay-for that was never going to work that Congress has never been willing to go to because it didn’t make sense.” The question now is whether the Senate can pass the bill by Friday, when Congress plans to leave for a two-week recess. In the event that it can’t, the Senate will once again pass a short-term patch. “I just don’t know how you get it done before the end of this week in a way that’s befitting a review by the United States Senate and House,” says Maryland Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin. “It normally takes more than a few minutes to consider major legislation. … We’re not going to finish the budget until Friday morning.” Democrats in the Senate have been more tepid in their support than their House colleagues, raising concerns over abortion provisions that have been countered in part after further negotiations. Several Democrats, including Sens. Chuck Schumer, Chris Murphy and Sherrod Brown, told TIME that they are concerned that the funding extension for CHIP is two, rather than four, years. But those concerns haven’t led them to state public opposition to the bill and it’s likely that there’s enough support among Senate Democrats to pass it. President Obama said Wednesday he’s got his pen “ready to sign a good, bipartisan bill.” “We have a golden opportunity to accomplish something that people thought couldn’t be accomplished with this amount of toxicity, if you will, to the atmosphere,” says West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin. “Getting the ‘doc fix’ done once and for all is a positive development,” adds Maine Sen. Angus King, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats and is “inclined” to support it. “I wish that it had four years for the CHIP program, but as Mick Jagger once famously said, ‘you don’t always get what you want.'” For the bill to come up in the upper chamber by Friday, every senator would have to agree to skip procedural hurdles to vote on the bill. After a drawn-out fight over the Keystone XL pipeline and the delay in what was once an easy, bipartisan anti-human trafficking bill, top Republicans are worried that Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and the Democrats will slow down or kill the process. Reid [has said](http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/236791-reid-no-comment-yet-on-doc-fix-deal) that he will give his opinion of the deal once it passes the House. “The incentives are there,” says Republican Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming. “Now it just comes to whether Harry Reid is once again going to obstruct the workings of the United States Senate.” In an ironic twist, just as Congress looks to relieve itself from a perennial headache, [reports](http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-24/lawmakers-try-to-end-doc-fix-that-ain-t-necessarily-broken) [have](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/05/upshot/doc-fix-the-budget-gimmick-that-actually-isnt-so-bad.html?abt=0002&abg=1&%5Fr=0) emerged defending the so-called ‘doc fix’ for doing what it was supposed to do: keep Medicare spending in line. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, an anti-deficit group, wrote last year that Congress paid for its delays [98 percent](http://crfb.org/blogs/sgr-continues-slow-health-care-cost-growth) of the time with much of the savings coming from health care programs. “It always gets derided because it’s annoying and it’s flawed,” Loren Adler, the group’s research director, told [Bloomberg](http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-24/lawmakers-try-to-end-doc-fix-that-ain-t-necessarily-broken) recently. “It doesn’t work as intended, it’s a little bit silly in some ways and it’s a lobbying bonanza. That being said, it’s accomplished what was intended—it’s controlled the cost of Medicare.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3759213/doc-fix-medicare-reform/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3759213/doc-fix-medicare-reform/"},"headline":"Congress to Solve Problem It Created 18 Years Ago","datePublished":"2015-03-26T03:45:09.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T05:27:00.983Z","description":"Congress is on the verge of solving a perennial headache: A flawed formula for Medicare reimbursement rates that it's patched for years.","url":"https://time.com/3759213/doc-fix-medicare-reform/","keywords":["Congress","Health Care"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt43cadf6a14368a06/698783f9a988ca66a66acf64/john-boehner-politics-t100.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Alex Rogers","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/alex-rogers/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt43cadf6a14368a06/698783f9a988ca66a66acf64/john-boehner-politics-t100.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"House Republicans Vote On A New Majority Leader To Replace Cantor","caption":"House Republicans Vote On A New Majority Leader To Replace Cantor","creditText":"Pete Marovich—Bloomberg/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/congress/","name":"Congress"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3759213/doc-fix-medicare-reform/","name":"Congress to Solve Problem It Created 18 Years Ago"}}]}] ```