Statement By Medicare Rights Center President Joe Baker On The House Vote To Repeal Medicare Pay Cuts For Doctors

Main Category: Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP
Article Date: 20 Nov 2009 - 4:00 PDT

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Today's vote by the House of Representatives is an important step toward repealing the 21.5 percent Medicare pay cut for doctors set to take effect next year, and moves to stabilize Medicare's payment system for doctors for the long term. People with Medicare must be able to maintain relationships with the doctors they trust. That access can be secured only in a payment environment that is stable and predictable.

Congress has long recognized that the current payment formula is fatally flawed, but in past years has only managed to apply a legislative band-aid and avert the pay cut scheduled for the following year. The Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act of 2009 that passed the House today permanently repeals that payment formula. We are confident that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will make good on his pledge and have the Senate again take up a long-term fix to Medicare's formula for paying doctors.

Source
Medicare Rights Center

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