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US House Boosts Medicare Payments to Doctors |
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Written by Robert Smith
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Saturday, 21 November 2009 |
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The U.S. House of Representatives voted to boost Medicare payments
to physicians in a move that could help shore up support from doctors
for a sweeping Democratic-backed healthcare overhaul.
The House voted 243-183 for the bill that would stop a 21% Medicare pay
cut for doctors next year and put in place an updated payment formula
that would better reward primary care physicians and reflect the sharp
increase in healthcare costs.
Democratic backers said the pay boost was necessary to ensure that the
elderly enrolled in the government's Medicare healthcare program did
not lose access to doctors.
Republican opponents called it a payoff to an influential doctors'
group to ensure its continued support for healthcare reform. They
objected to the bill because Democratic leaders did not include any
measures to pay for the $210 billion 10-year cost of the legislation.
"This is nothing more than a political payoff to the American Medical Association," Republican Representative Joe Barton said.
The 250,000-member AMA linked the payment formula update to its support
for healthcare reform passed by the House on Nov. 7. The group argued
that passing the Medicare bill would be a good show of faith by
Congress that it was prepared to honor any new commitments made in the
overhaul.
The White House backs the legislation, but the bill faces an uncertain
fate in the Senate, which is about to begin debate on its version of a
healthcare overhaul that is a top domestic priority for President
Barack Obama.
The Senate failed to pass similar legislation in October amid growing concern over record budget deficits.
Senate Democratic leaders included in their broad healthcare reform
bill a temporary measure that would stop next year's Medicare pay cut
for doctors, leaving until later any action on a long-term plan to
improve Medicare payments.
Congress has voted for years for temporary "fixes" to the Medicare
payment formula to prevent deep pay cuts. The House bill would put an
end to that annual ritual and replace the current formula with a more
generous plan.
"If we do nothing, payments to doctors treating Medicare patients will
drop by 21% in the New Year with more cuts in the years to come," said
House Democratic Leader Steny Hoyer. "If we allow that to take place,
many seniors will find their doctor is no longer available."
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