Jeff Bingaman United States Senator from New Mexico

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today said he is disappointed that a bill to prevent cuts in payments to physicians serving Medicare patients has failed, but hopes that Congress will act before the end of the year to ensure that the cuts do not go into effect.

Despite Bingaman's support, the Senate today voted 47-53 on The Medicare Physician Fairness Act, defeating legislation that would have prevented a 20 percent cut in Medicare payments to physicians next year.  The cuts were called for in the Balanced Budget Amendment of 1997.  In total, the cuts are projected to reduce payments to New Mexican physicians serving seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries by $50 million in 2010.  Because TRICARE physician payments are linked to Medicare payments, TRICARE is also facing deep cuts.            

"Obviously we cannot let stand deep cuts to doctors in New Mexico and across the country.   We must act soon to avert this crisis," Bingaman said.  "I hope we can find a way to not only prevent these deep cuts, but to do so in a way that does not add to the deficit."