Last week, Democrats in the Senate did not get the 60 votes needed to invoke cloture and begin debate on a measure that would delay a 10.6 percent Medicare physicians fee cut for 18 months. (Kaiser Network)
As I mentioned before, Democrats in both houses of Congress are trying to delay the cut, which goes into effect on July 1, 2008. The Bush administration seeks to reduce funding to Medicare and Medicaid programs and will veto any bill that proposes to cut funding to Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, a private program. Democrats intend to fund the physicians fee cut by reducing funding to MAs.
Democratic senator Max Baucus told The Hill: “We all know what this vote [against cloture and debate] was about, and it wasn’t about what’s best for American seniors. The White House doesn’t want overpaid private plans in Medicare to lose a single dime.”
Whether private Medicare plans are overpaid or not, the issue will continue to divide an already contentious Congress.
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