Senator Klobuchar Votes to Override President's Veto of Medicare

Press Release

Senator Klobuchar Votes to Override President's Veto of Medicare

Klobuchar fights for nation's seniors to ensure continued access to quality care

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar tonight voted to override the President's veto of the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act. The bill will preserve access to quality health care for America's Medicare beneficiaries by avoiding a harmful cut in physician payments and improving incentives to reward quality-improvement practices.

The bill passed the Senate last week by a vote of 69-30 after Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) returned to the Senate chamber to vote for the first time since being diagnosed with a brain tumor. The President vetoed the legislation today, but the House and Senate acted immediately to overturn the veto to make it law. The override passed the Senate by a vote of 70-26.

"Thousands of Minnesotans count on Medicare for quality health services and the peace of mind that comes with dependable medical care,'' Klobuchar said. "I cast my vote to override the President's veto tonight because this legislation is vital for the millions of patients who rely on this program to receive quality health care."

The measure blocks a 10.6 percent cut in payments that was scheduled to take effect for Medicare physicians, a cut that would have caused many doctors to stop seeing or taking new Medicare patients, according to health care analysts.

The bill also contains incentives to improve health care quality in Medicare. It will reward doctors who report on quality improvement measurements and provide incentives for doctors and clinics to make greater use of electronic-prescribing technology to improve medical accuracy.

"It's time that Medicare rewarded the kind of high-quality, low-cost medicine that our doctors and hospitals practice in Minnesota, so this is a first step toward reform,'' Klobuchar said.

Source