Max Baucus: “In answer to the question, my good friend knows that October 1 has come and gone. That means 15 percent of home health…”

“In answer to the question, my good friend knows that October 1 has come and gone. That means 15 percent of home health care provisions that we have to address--large nursing home cuts--the so-called ``cliff'' that we have to address--and teaching hospital provisions, and after October 1, we have to move. I also say to my good friend from Oklahoma that the ranking Republican on the committee and I spent a lot of time talking with staffs of Senators on both sides, including that of the Senator from Oklahoma--all Senators on the committee and their staffs. This is the bill we all agree on, Senator Grassley agreed to. This has been worked out very thoroughly, and it has been around a long time. The Senator well knows the provisions of the bill. There was a selective error on one--that is, we do address the wage index factor. Most importantly, this has to pass quickly to help our people. The cost of the bill is $43 billion over 10 years.”