The CBO budget report says the growth in Medicare and Medicaid spending during the next decade "will be somewhat slower than the average rate seen over the past 10 years." However, its cost estimates build in savings that are planned under current law. In the case of Medicare, CBO's calculation of a slowdown in Medicare growth includes a substantial 21% cut in payments to doctors now slated to go into effect in March. Both political parties have said they want to block the planned pay cuts to doctors, the Wall Street Journal Health Blog reports.
