Senate Approves
Medicare 'Doc Fix' to Stop 25 Percent Cut in Physician Pay; Up to House
'Stopping
the cut for one year will inject some much needed stability into the
system for seniors and physician practices,' says AMA president
Dec. 9, 2010 –
Seniors can breath a sigh of relief as their worry about physicians
refusing to treat Medicare patients in the future due to a giant
reduction in pay has ended with a quiet unanimous vote by the Senate to
stop the 25 percent cut. The White House helped push for the vote and
will do the same in the House, where it is expected to pass before the
January 1 deadline.
The
Senate's $19.2 billion pay fix was approved by unanimous consent
Wednesday and now will go to the House, where it is expected to gain
passage before Congress leaves Washington for the holidays. The measure
is paid for by a tweak in the health overhaul law.
“On a voice vote,
the Senate approved a one-year ‘fix’ to the doctor's payment formula
that would stop a scheduled cut in physicians pay in January that
advocates for the elderly said would have made it harder for Medicare
patients to get medical care,” according to
Reuters.
The $19.2 billion
price tag will be paid by drawing on money allocated to support
state-run insurance exchanges that were created by the healthcare reform
law, reports
The Hill.
The President of
the American Medical Association, Dr. Cecil B. Wilson, said, “The AMA
congratulates the Senate for its bipartisan action to preserve seniors’
access to care by stopping next year’s steep 25 percent Medicare
physician payment cut. Stopping the cut for one year will inject some
much needed stability into the system for seniors and physician
practices who have spent this year in limbo because of five short-term
delays.
National Public Radio reporters explain the history
on All Things Considered
March 4, 2010 – The legislatively mandated cut in
Medicare’s pay to physicians of 21.2 percent has been delayed until at
least April 1 by a bill passed by the Democrats late Tuesday and signed
by President Obama. Senior citizens scratch their heads trying to
understand this annual dance in Washington – doctors face an annual
reduction in Medicare pay, they threaten to stop treating seniors and
Congress stops the pay cut.
Read
more...
“The AMA will be
working closely with congressional leadership in the new year to develop
a long-term solution to this perennial Medicare problem for seniors and
their physicians. This one-year delay comes right as the oldest baby
boomers reach age 65, adding urgency to the need for a long-term
solution before this demographic tsunami swamps the Medicare program.
Dr. Wilson
singled out for praise for their “leadership” Senate Majority Leader
Harry Reid, Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, Minority Leader Mitch
McConnell, Finance Committee Ranking Member Charles Grassley and
President Obama.
He concluded his
comments by urging the House to act before the deadline and said “We
look forward to building on this bipartisan effort to develop a workable
long-term solution to the broken physician payment system that bedevils
seniors, military families and physicians.”
Links to More Archived Reports on
Battle Over Medicare Pay for Physicians
Docs who treat senior citizens in Medicare
were facing 21% pay cut today; Republicans have repeatedly
blocked Democratic effort to stop the pay reduction
Dec. 9, 2010 –
Seniors can breath a sigh of relief as their worry about physicians
refusing to treat Medicare patients in the future due to a giant
reduction in pay has ended with a quiet unanimous vote by the Senate to
stop the 25 percent cut. The White House helped push for the vote and
will do the same in the House, where it is expected to pass before the
January 1 deadline.
Bill passed with help of only three Republicans,
signed by President last night