Medicare Bill Update -- Immediate Action Needed

With only this week left to avert a 10.6% cut in Medicare physician fees, Congress is trying to pass legislation. Although the House has a form of the bill Senator Baucus introduced in the Senate (last week) scheduled for a vote tomorrow, this House bill is likely to fail to get a needed 2/3rds majority (it is being voted on “under suspension,” which is an expedited vote that requires a super majority of 2/3rds of the House).

It now looks like the Senate is going to introduce new legislation, late today or more likely tomorrow. The Senate Democrats are trying to win over enough Republicans to get at least 60 votes to close off discussion (invoke cloture), pass the bill in the Senate, and send it over to the House for a vote. It is not clear whether a compromise can be worked out with the White House to avert a threatened veto or if 67 votes in the Senate can be mustered to overcome a presidential veto.

Please call your Senators immediately. The message is simple: Pass a Medicare bill that includes the Part B prompt pay solution.