Sen. Cornyn Calls On Democratic Leadership To Address Long-Term Solution To Medicare Payment System

Main Category: Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP
Article Date: 08 Jul 2008 - 2:00 PDT

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With the Medicare reform debate expected to return to the Senate this week, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, today urged Senate Democratic leaders to commit to addressing the long-term solution to a broken system that shortchanges Medicare providers each year, and leaves millions of seniors in limbo.

"As I have said before, I am firmly opposed to making any cuts to an already lagging reimbursement rate for Medicare providers. But while Democrat leaders in the Senate attempt to pass yet another short-term, band-aid fix, I ask them-why not pass a 30-day extension so we can roll up our sleeves, do the responsible thing, and find a long-term solution to a problem that has and will continue to rear its ugly head each year until it is addressed on a larger scale? Congress has an obligation to America's seniors on Medicare and the doctors who provide it to address this broken system comprehensively. I introduced legislation in March that would make sweeping reforms to the Medicare repayment system, do away with the annual cuts, and restore more peace of mind to beneficiaries and providers. Our country's Medicare beneficiaries need more than a band-aid - they need lasting, quality care that they can depend on. I urge leaders in the Majority Party to think past the November election and take the time to solve this serious problem now."

Background:

Sen. Cornyn has been working for some time to find a long-term solution to the physician payment system, do away with the annual spending cap and put a stop to the cuts that rear their ugly head each year. He introduced legislation in March because he had long felt that the current physician payment system is broken. Backed by the Texas Medical Association, his bill, the Ensuring the Future Physician Workforce Act of 2008, would take several steps to reform the way physicians are reimbursed under Medicare. It would prevent the payment cuts, then eliminate the reimbursement cap and focus on securing a viable, future generation of physicians to provide improved health care at lower costs for patients. Sen. Cornyn's legislation would also take several steps to improve the physician-patient relationship and help patients better evaluate the care they receive.

He was disappointed Democrat leaders in the Senate did not allow time to reach a compromise solution before the July 4th recess that would have provided a real solution for all Medicare providers and beneficiaries. To make matters worse, Democrat leadership blocked a 30-day extension of current law to prevent the cuts while negotiations continue. Sen. Cornyn does not believe Texas beneficiaries should be caught in the middle of partisan infighting in Washington.

He's hopeful that as the Senate resumes, the Majority will be open to cooperating and finding a bipartisan solution that prevents the cuts and also hopes to have the opportunity to debate his bill, which would provide a long-term fix and give beneficiaries and doctors more peace of mind.

- To view a one-page summary of Senator Cornyn's legislation, please click here.

- To view Senator Cornyn's March 6th floor statement introducing the legislation, please click here.

- To view Senator Cornyn's most recent floor speech from June 26th on this issue, please click here.

Sen. Cornyn serves on the Armed Services, Judiciary and Budget Committees. In addition, he is Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Ethics. He serves as the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee's Immigration, Border Security and Refugees subcommittee and the Armed Services Committee's Airland subcommittee. He served previously as Texas Attorney General, Texas Supreme Court Justice, and Bexar County District Judge.

Sen. Cornyn

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