Political Charades Have No Place In Efforts To Reform Medicare For Beneficiaries, Providers - Senator John Cornyn
"Over three months ago, in anticipation of the looming physician payment cut set for July 1st, I introduced legislation that truly addressed the issue at hand-permanently. My legislation, the Ensuring the Future Physician Workforce Act of 2008, eliminates the ineffectual expenditure cap and paves the way toward real health care reform, innovation, and restoration of the eroded physician-patient relationship. The underlying message of my legislation is that providers and beneficiaries should not be the ones who are punished by Congress' inaction.
"Unfortunately, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle missed a major opportunity to take these positive steps forward on a long-term solution. Instead, Majority leaders have presented a short-term fix that bypassed the traditional committee review, ignores bipartisan input, and has no chance of becoming law. Knowingly presenting a bill that will not succeed is hardly the solution seniors on Medicare-who are facing reduced services and higher premiums-are expecting from Congress.
"Senate Republicans have proposed a compromise bill that offers solutions for doctors, seniors, and taxpayers. This bill will provide doctors with a positive increase, extend critical programs, reform payments to Medicare Advantage plans, and implement many other necessary changes to the Medicare program. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to stop the political charades and take serious steps to reform Medicare and deliver real, positive results to our nation's Medicare beneficiaries and providers."
As it stands, physicians who offer Medicare are scheduled to have their reimbursement rates cut by more than 10 percent on July 1. This reduction, which physicians face annually under a federally mandated cap, is forcing many physicians in Texas and across the country to offer limited care or close their doors altogether to Medicare beneficiaries. According to a Texas Medical Association survey, the percentage of physicians who accept all new Medicare patients has declined to a historic low.
Sen. Cornyn's legislation, the Ensuring the Future Physician Workforce Act of 2008 , S.2729, would, first, 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. The legislation would take several steps to improve the physician-patient relationship and help patients better evaluate the care they receive.
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.
http://www.cornyn.senate.gov
Charades politice nu au nici un loc în eforturile de reformã, Medicare pentru beneficiarii, furnizorii - senatorul John Cornyn - Political Charades Have No Place In Efforts To Reform Medicare For Beneficiaries, Providers - Senator John Cornyn - articole medicale engleza - startsanatate