Jeff Bingaman United States Senator from New Mexico

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today reported that Congress overrode the president's veto of key Medicare legislation.

Earlier in the month, the Senate approved legislation to turn back a scheduled 10.6 percent cut in Medicare payments to physicians.  But the bill, which Bingaman cosponsored in its stand-alone form, was vetoed by President Bush today.  With 70 votes, the Senate overrode the president's veto.  The House of Representatives earlier in the day also overwhelmingly voted for an override. 

The physician cuts were scheduled to occur on January 1, 2008, but Congress passed a temporary delay through the end of this month.  This bill, which is now considered law, not only prevents any cuts in Medicare reimbursements for 18 months, it also provides a 1.1 percent increase in reimbursements payments to physicians and bonuses for doctors serving rural communities. 

"I'm disappointed that the president chose to veto this important legislation, but I'm very glad we had enough votes for an override," Bingaman said.

At Bingaman's urging, the measure included provisions that would have significantly improved assistance for low-income Americans in meeting their Medicare cost-sharing requirements.  Bingaman pressed to include a proposals to make it easier for seniors to qualify for help in paying their prescription drug premiums, change requirements to make it easier for low-income seniors to qualify for cost-sharing assistance and other similar benefits, and significantly expands initiatives that reach out to and enroll seniors in Medicare low-income programs.  Also, at Bingaman's urging, the measure included $100 million to help pay for health care provided to Medicare recipients at Community Health Centers and millions of dollars to support care provided by psychologists to Medicare beneficiaries. 

The legislation also bolsters payments to rural Medicare providers, improves Medicare chronic care services, improves preventative services provided in the Medicare program, and makes several important changes to the Medicare prescription drug program.  

Bingaman is a member of the Finance Committee and helped craft this measure.