OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Medicare Beneficiaries and Access to Care

Floor Speech

Date: Dec. 6, 2011
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Senior Citizens Entitlements and the Safety Net Health Insurance

Mr. DesJARLAIS. Mr. Speaker, as both a practicing physician and a Member of Congress, I have had numerous discussions with patients and constituents regarding how difficult it is for Medicare beneficiaries to find access to care.

Unfortunately, this dilemma will only be exacerbated if Congress fails to enact legislation by the year's end for the sustainable growth rate, the formula in which physicians are paid for treating seniors on Medicare. Without congressional action, physician reimbursement will be cut by 28 percent on January 1, 2011, which will drastically hurt seniors' ability to find medical care.

For roughly 8 years, Congress has applied a short-term fix to resolve these cuts. Republican doctors are committed to enacting a permanent solution to the flawed SGR formula. Democrats had a chance to deal with this issue during the passage of ObamaCare but, instead, chose to cut roughly $525 billion in Medicare.

Congress must have the courage to repeal the flawed SGR formula and create a sustainable and reliable payment schedule.


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