Stupak Votes to Override Veto of Medicare Fix

Press Release

U.S. Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Menominee) voted today to override President Bush's veto of H.R. 6331, 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. In a 383 to 41 vote, the House easily gained the two-thirds majority necessary to override a veto. An override vote is also expected to be held in the U.S. Senate.

"Without action by Congress, many seniors and other Medicare patients were facing the prospect of no longer being able to see their doctor because their doctor could no longer afford to treat Medicare patients," Stupak said. "This would have had a devastating impact on our entire health care system, including military health care, which is tied to the Medicare formula."

Included in the bill was a provision authored by Stupak to ensure Medicare pays a full anesthesia fee in educational settings and to equalize payments to anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists. These services are frequently reduced by 50 percent under current Medicare rules. The provision 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 to recruit them. I am committed to ensuring all Americans have access to anesthesiologists and other specialists, especially as the demand for these professionals continues to grow."

Despite overwhelming bipartisan votes in the House and Senate in support of H.R. 6331, President Bush vetoed the legislation on Tuesday. A successful override would make this the third of President Bush's nine vetoes that Congress has overridden.

"This is critical legislation with broad bipartisan support," Stupak said. "The president's veto ignores the needs of our seniors and the doctors who provide their medical care. This is important legislation that matters to people all across northern Michigan and I was proud to stand up for them today by voting to override President Bush's veto."

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