Out of time: Medicare pay revisions on hold until after November elections

The AMA wants two years of positive updates for physicians while a permanent solution is worked out.

By David Glendinning, AMNews staff. Oct. 16, 2006.

Washington -- Congress left town to prepare for midterm elections without agreeing on a way to stop the upcoming Medicare physician cut -- a situation that doctors said must be rectified as soon as lawmakers come back to Washington, D.C., in November.

"The AMA is disappointed that Congress is heading home for the elections without passing legislation to prevent Medicare physician payment cuts that will seriously erode seniors' access to health care," said American Medical Association board Chair Cecil B. Wilson, MD. "Congress needs to act promptly on its return to preserve seniors' access to care."

The last chance physicians will have to prevent the estimated 5.1% cut from taking effect in January 2007 will occur after lawmakers go back to Capitol Hill the week of Nov. 16 for a "lame duck" session. Competition among legislative priorities, including stopping the Medicare pay cut, will be fierce, because Congress also must approve a number of massive spending bills if it wants to keep the government running.

If the elections prove particularly contentious or if control of one or both of the chambers switches parties, the push to reverse the reduction -- or to pass any legislation that is not a government spending bill -- could become even more difficult, congressional aides and lobbyists said. Party leaders may resist certain pieces of legislation because they anticipate having more control in the 2007 session or because they are reluctant to allow the other party to claim legislative victories after the elections.