Re: Re: Medicare Bill Update and Watch

[Guest guest]

Bruce, Thanks for the 800 phone number...I

called and left a long message for our Senator Spector.

Hopefully he gets the message to vote in favor.

Z fibriotic NSIP/05

Z 64,

fibriotic NSIP/o5/PA

And “mild”

PH/10/07 and Reynaud’s too!!

No, NSIP was not

self-inflicted…I never smoked!

Potter,

reader,carousel lover and MomMom to

Darah

and Sara

“I’m gonna

be iron like a lion in Zion” Bob Marley

Vinca

Minor-periwinkle is my flower

Bruce Moreland wrote:

Capitol Hill Watch | Medicare Physician Pay

Patch Bill Might Gain Enough Votes for Cloture in Senate, Baucus Says

[Jul 08, 2008]

Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus

(D-Mont.) on Monday said that a House-passed bill (HR 6331) that would

delay a 10.6% reduction to Medicare physician fees that was scheduled

to take effect last week might have enough votes in the Senate to gain

cloture, even though it failed by one vote on June 26, CongressDaily

reports (Edney, CongressDaily, 7/7). The House last month

passed the measure by a

veto-proof margin. The bill is similar to a measure (S 3101) proposed by Baucus, which also failed to receive

enough votes for cloture (Kaiser Daily Health Policy

Report, 7/7).

CMS

provided Congress with more time to act on blocking the fee reduction,

freezing rates until July 15 through an administrative measure,

according to CQ Today. However, Jeff Nelligan, a

spokesperson for the agency, on Monday said there would be no further

extensions (Armstrong, CQ Today, 7/7). A spokesperson for

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said that the Senate will

again vote to invoke cloture on the measure as early as Wednesday (CongressDaily,

7/7).

The vote "will come after a recess week when outside lobbying groups,

specifically physicians' associations, have tried putting pressure on

GOP senators who voted against the House bill in an effort to flip at

least one of them," according to CQ Today. However,

"there's no firm evidence yet that any Republicans intend to actually

switch sides," CQ Today reports. In the event the measure

gains 60 votes for cloture, it still faces a veto from President Bush,

which would take 67 votes to override. Baucus said, "We have a decent

chance of getting cloture," adding, "I can't guarantee it, but it's

close" (CQ Today, 7/7). Baucus also rejected a proposal

from some Republicans to extend the current physician pay rate for 31

days, saying it would be too confusing (CongressDaily,

7/7).

Republicans offered an extension so that Baucus and Finance Committee

ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) could finish negotiations on a

compromise bill. "ly, we did not have an agreement," Baucus said,

adding, "The overwhelming House vote ... changed the dynamics

considerably, and I felt, and many others felt, it was best to bring up

the House-passed bill" (CQ Today, 7/7). Baucus said that

if the Senate passed the measure with a wide enough margin, the Bush

administration might back down from its veto threat (CongressDaily,

7/7).

The Hill Examines AMA Ad Campaign

The Hill

on Monday examined how the American Medical Association

and other physicians' groups are "risking a backlash from Republicans"

by airing "noticeably

partisan" advertising campaigns supporting the House bill that is

largely backed by Democrats. According to The Hill, trade

groups are typically wary of siding with one party, but "sometimes

interest groups find themselves in a position where they have to risk

future comeuppance for present gain." In this case, the "immediate

interests" of the AMA and other physicians' groups "clearly lie with

the Democrats," The Hill reports.

Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), one of the senators targeted by the AMA

ads, said, "I'm a little surprised when there are issues that are very

important to the AMA, the shoe may be on the other foot," adding, "I've

been a very good friend of America's doctors, so a little surprised to

see one vote in this context the subject of media advertising" (Young, The

Hill, 7/7).

The AMA ads ran in Pennsylvania, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Tennessee,

Texas and Wyoming, "slamming lawmakers who voted against the House

measure" and requesting voters to call their senators and urge them to

change their vote, CQ Today reports. Meanwhile, America's

Health Insurance Plans launched its own ad campaign on July

1, asking lawmakers to vote against the bill (CQ Today,

7/7).

Other Medicare Services Affected by House Bill

Meanwhile, CQ HealthBeat

on Monday examined other constituents -- including Medicare

beneficiaries who receive outpatient physical, occupational and speech

therapy services and suppliers of durable medical equipment -- who also

are affected by the outcome of the House bill. The measure contains

provisions to block for 18 months payment caps on physical,

occupational and speech therapy services under Medicare. The physical,

occupational and speech therapy services payment caps that would have

gone into effect on July 1 were delayed under the CMS administrative

measure.

Baucus in a July 2 letter to HHS Secretary Mike

Leavitt said that about 700,000 beneficiaries would be affected by the

payment caps. Francesca Fierro O'Reilly, senior director for

legislative affairs at the American Health Care Association, said that

in 2003 when the payment caps went into effect for three months, some

beneficiaries declined treatment after reaching the maximum payment

level instead of paying for it out of pocket.

The House measure also contains an 18-month delay of a competitive

bidding program for DME. However, the bidding program was not covered

by the 10-day freeze and went into effect as scheduled on July 1. The

bidding program still could be retroactively delayed. House Ways and

Means Health Subcommittee

Chair Pete Stark (D-Calif.) on Monday said, "I don't think there are

any problems in just ending the bidding operations," adding, "It was

just a stupid plan" that "disenfranchised 70% to 80% of providers."

However, Ed Biggins -- executive vice president of Ablecare Medical,

which won contracts under the program -- said the company will

"aggressively seek ... legal rights" if the program is halted. He said

the company spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to ready itself to

provide services to beneficiaries under the new contract (Reichard, CQ

HealthBeat, 7/7).

>

> Both of Maine's Senators and it's two Congressman are strong

supporters of the bill.

> Jack

> 79/IPF - UIP/dx06/05 Maine

>

>

>

> Medicare Bill Update and Watch

>

>

>

> Was just reading locally and thought it interesting to post. As

many

> probably remember right before the holiday the house passed a bill

to

> stop the cuts in medicare payments, limit respiratory rehab, and

> implement the bidding system on medical equipment. The senate

tried to

> get the bill to the floor but was one vote short. The President

also has

> indicated he might veto it but it appears the house could override

a

> veto. Now, the American Medical Association has aired TV ads in

states

> where senators voted to keep it from being voted on (primarily

> republican as it was pretty much party lines) and especially where

there

> is a race underway to try to apply pressure. They did so in Texas

where

> Cornyn voted against sending it to the floor. Also, it is

estimated

> that to date the two Texas Senators have received 56,000 calls

from AARP

> members. The Senate is expected to try again tomorrow or

Wednesday. The

> President has put on hold processing of claims at the lower rates

until

> the Senate has a chance to decide.

>

> If you want to encourage your senator to support the bill which is

> critical to those of us on medicare but ultimately also to

everyone not

> on medicare and especially on oxygen then you can call

.

>

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