Hails Passage of Medicare Fix, Urges President to Reconsider Veto Threat
Press Release
U.S. Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Menominee) applauded the U.S. Senate's decision today to reconsider and pass the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008. The bill prevents a 10.6 percent payment reduction for physicians participating in Medicare, providing them instead a 1.1 percent increase for 18 months. It also enhances Medicare preventive and mental health benefits, improves and extends programs for low-income Medicare beneficiaries and extends expiring provisions for rural providers. The bill passed the House 355 to 59 on June 24.
"This bill will ensure continued access to quality medical care for seniors and other Medicare patients in northern Michigan," Stupak said. "Without Congress's action, the scheduled payment cut would be devastating to physicians who serve northern Michigan Medicare beneficiaries, Michigan hospitals, health systems and the communities they serve. I supported this legislation in the House and I was pleased to see the Senate follow our lead today."
Despite broad bipartisan support in Congress, President Bush opposes the legislation and has threatened to veto it.
"I hope the president will reconsider his veto threat," Stupak said. "It appears Congress has the votes to override his veto, but it shouldn't come to that."
Also included in the bill was a provision authored by Stupak, the Medicare Academic Anesthesiology and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA) Payment Improvement Act, which would ensure Medicare pays a full anesthesia fee in educational settings and would equalize payments to anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists. These services are frequently reduced by 50 percent under current Medicare rules. The legislation is important to ensure the financial stability of nurse anesthesia and anesthesiology educational programs so student nurse anesthetists and medical residents can pursue the specialty of anesthesia, enabling patients to have access to quality healthcare.
"Rural communities have a hard enough time attracting medical professionals trained in specialties such as anesthesiology," Stupak said. "We shouldn't be making it harder. I am committed to ensuring rural seniors have access to anesthesiologist and other specialist, especially as the demand for these professionals continues to grow."
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