JULY Topic: Medicare Payment Cuts to Physicians

Just before the Fourth of July recess, the House passed a bill to prevent Medicare a pay cut of 10.6% by a vote of 355 to 59. In the Senate, Republicans blocked efforts to take up the bill, so the cut took effect on July 1. But the Bush administration has delayed processing of new claims to give Congress time to come up with a compromise.

Core Concepts (will open in new window):

• Physician Reimbursement
  
• Provider Reimbursement
• Medicare Structure
  

KaiserNetwork.org, 7/16.08
Congress Overrides Veto of Medicare Bill To Delay Physician Payment Cut

New York Times, 7/13/08
Long-Term Fix Is Elusive in Medicare Payments
Congress has blocked a cut in payments to doctors but has not solved the problem that caused the cut, experts say.

KaiserNetwork.org, 7/10/08
Senate Votes 69-30 To Approve Legislation That Would Halt Medicare Physician Payment Cut

New York Times, 7/7/08
Doctors Press Senate to Undo Medicare Cuts:
Ads by the American Medical Association blame Senate Republicans for a 10.6 percent cut in payments to doctors who care for older Americans.

New York Times, 7/5/08
The Senate Stalls on Medicare
A sensible new Medicare bill must pass so that Congress can wring subsidies from inefficient private Medicare plans.

KaiserNetwork.org, 7/8/08
Medicare Physician Pay Patch Bill Might Gain Enough Votes for Cloture in Senate, Baucus Says

Questions to Ponder

- How do you think physician payments should be set?

- Should Medicare Advantage programs exist? Why or why not?

- Why has no meaningful reform occurred regarding physician payments through Medicare?

- Are medical students at your school informed about Medicare payments? Do they think what happens with Medicare will impact their future careers?