Texas Physicians To U.S. Senators: Vote For One Special Interest Group - Texas Patients

Main Category: Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP
Article Date: 09 Jul 2008 - 5:00 PDT

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With millions of Texans' health care at stake, the nation's largest state medical society called on U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchison to reverse their votes on a key Medicare bill today.

Senators Cornyn and Hutchison let Texas patients down when they cast their June 26 vote to support health insurance profits instead of improved health care for seniors. Their votes defeated House Resolution 6331, which failed by one vote.

"Our senators can redeem themselves on Wednesday by voting 'FOR' only one special interest group: Texas' senior citizens, military families, and people with disabilities," said Josie R. Williams, MD, president of the Texas Medical Association.

The Senate on Wednesday is scheduled to reconsider HR 6331, which would provide a short-term fix and a long-term solution to improve the broken Medicare system. The bill would reverse the 10.6-percent, July 1 cut to physicians' Medicare payments. The bill also gives Congress 18 months to devise a long-term replacement for the flawed funding formula used to calculate physician payments each year.

"Senators from both parties have publicly stated that they hope to reverse the cut in physician Medicare payments and quickly. Now our senators can put their words into action by voting 'FOR' Texas Medicare patients," stated Dr. Williams.

According to the American Medical Association, the cuts will affect more than 3.5 million Texas Medicare patients and military dependants on TRICARE.

TMA is the largest state medical society in the nation, representing more than 43,000 physician and medical student members. It is located in Austin and has 120 component county medical societies around the state. Organized in 1853, TMA's key objective is to improve the health of all Texans.

Texas Medical Association