House Passes Legislation to Protect Seniors' Access to Doctors
November 19, 2009
Today, Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA) voted to preserve seniors' access to their doctors by fixing the way Medicare pays physicians. The Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act, H.R. 3961, will permanently reform the Medicare payment system, repealing a 21% cut in payments to doctors scheduled to take place in January and replacing it with a stable system that protects seniors, preserves their relationship with their doctors and promotes primary care.
“We've all heard from our constituents how important their relationship is with their doctor. We have a system that works- over 45 million people across the country depend on Medicare for that doctor-patient relationship,” said Congressman Thompson. “Yet every year this doctor patient relationship is threatened by excessive cuts to Medicare reimbursement rates. Every year we wait until the last minute to address it in Congress. Meanwhile, patients worry that they will lose access to their doctors. And doctors worry about how they will be able to continue to serve their patients.”
“This bill will permanently fix the problem- so that we don't have to put patients and their doctors through this yearly ritual, and Medicare recipients will have continuous access to their doctors.”
The bill has been endorsed by many groups including the American Medical Association, AARP, the Military Officers Association of America, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Physicians, the American College of Surgeons, the Center for Medicare Advocacy, the Medicare Rights Center, and the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare.
The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.
“We've all heard from our constituents how important their relationship is with their doctor. We have a system that works- over 45 million people across the country depend on Medicare for that doctor-patient relationship,” said Congressman Thompson. “Yet every year this doctor patient relationship is threatened by excessive cuts to Medicare reimbursement rates. Every year we wait until the last minute to address it in Congress. Meanwhile, patients worry that they will lose access to their doctors. And doctors worry about how they will be able to continue to serve their patients.”
“This bill will permanently fix the problem- so that we don't have to put patients and their doctors through this yearly ritual, and Medicare recipients will have continuous access to their doctors.”
The bill has been endorsed by many groups including the American Medical Association, AARP, the Military Officers Association of America, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Physicians, the American College of Surgeons, the Center for Medicare Advocacy, the Medicare Rights Center, and the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare.
The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.
Issues:Health Care