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Bingaman: Cuts in Medicare Payments to Doctors Takes Effect Today Print Share

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

SANTA FE – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today said he very concerned that the Senate last week failed by just one vote to prevent a scheduled 10.6 percent cut in Medicare payments to physicians. 

The bill, which Bingaman cosponsored in its stand-alone form, needed 60 votes to be brought up for consideration; it received just 59 votes.  Cuts are effective as of today.

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

“It is very disappointing that this bill was filibustered, leaving doctors -- and Medicare beneficiaries -- to suffer the consequences.  The House of Representatives has overwhelmingly voted for this bipartisan bill.  I hope the Senate can vote once again next week with a better result,” Bingaman said. 

Bingaman today met with doctors to discuss how the cuts will affect the state’s doctors and Medicare beneficiaries. 

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 the proposals to make it easier for seniors to qualify for help in paying their prescription drug premiums, lowering the income threshold that determines which low-income seniors 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.  

The bill also contained $100 million to help pay for health care provided to Medicare recipients at Community Health Centers, bolster payments to rural Medicare providers, improves Medicare chronic care services, and makes several important changes to the Medicare prescription drug program.  

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