Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act Of 2009

Floor Speech

Mr. DOGGETT. This bill is about more than the reasonable desire of physicians for reimbursement rates that cover their actual cost and fairly compensate their work. It is about access to quality health care and your ability to choose the doctor best for you.

When accepting new Medicare patients means losing money, fewer physicians can accept new patients. In 1997, a Republican Congress enacted a payment formula that never worked, and then they kept everyone guessing year after year as to what kind of gimmick they would come up with in lieu of the next year's payment cut.

Now we have revised their flawed formula and prevented what could be up to a 40 percent cut for physicians. Our bill will not only help seniors and the disabled, but it will help many members of the active duty military and our veterans who rely on TRICARE. Our troops should never have to worry whether their family can get the care and the doctor that they need.

Instead of another Republican Band-Aid, we offer a cure for what ails the Medicare-TRICARE formula. Today is one time that the ``just say no'' party ought to say ``yes'' to good public policy, which is supported by the Texas Medical Association and medical societies across the country.

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