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Capitol Hill's year ahead: Medical issues old and new

Medicare payment, tort reform and health IT promise to keep Congress busy.

By David Glendinning, amednews staff. Feb. 6, 2006.

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The 2006 legislative session swings into full gear this month, and lawmakers once again are prepared to do battle over health care. In the background, seniors are trying out new Medicare benefits, and physicians are readying the fight to accomplish longstanding legislative priorities.

Although some familiar issues are sure to make it onto the House and Senate floors, others appear to be headed toward taking a back seat. And at least one influential lawmaker on the health policy scene will say goodbye to Capitol Hill when 2006 comes to a close.

Here's a look at what may make headlines this year.

Once again, physicians face a Medicare cut that will take effect at the beginning of next year unless they can procure a rate fix sometime this session.

The American Medical Association and other physician groups won't be content merely to update reimbursements for a year or to freeze them at current levels, as Congress decided to do last year. They are heartened by signs that lawmakers have heard the call for a more lasting solution, said AMA President J. Edward Hill, MD.

"We've done a tremendous job raising awareness of the issue, both on Capitol Hill and with patients," he said. "We plan to build on the momentum from 2005 to make a strong push to replace the payment formula with one based on practice costs in 2006."

But a minefield of complications could get in the way of this goal. The already massive price tag for aligning reimbursements with the cost of providing care grows with each year of inaction. Medicare spending on such basic physician services as office visits and imaging procedures also continues to grow at rates that have drawn the attention of federal officials.