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SENATE PASSES MEDICARE / TRICARE BILL, DOCTORS
AVOID PAYMENTS CUTS -- "With a strong bipartisan
vote,
which has a veto-proof majority, I now urge
President
Bush to sign this bill immediately..."
For more about TRICARE, use the VA Watchdog
search engine...click here...
http://www.yourvabenefits.org/sessearch.php?q=tricare&op=and
Story here...
http://primebuzz.kcstar.com/?q=node/12896
StorY below:
-------------------------
Senate passes Medicare Bill; Docs avoid
payment cuts
The Senate avoided a planned cut in Medicare payments to doctors today
when Democrats secured enough votes to pass a controversial Medicare bill.
And in a perfect bit of stagecraft, the vote marked the first appearance
on the Senate floor of Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts
since he was diagnosed with brain cancer.
Kennedy, greeted by cheers and applause from both sides of the aisle, has
been a longtime champion of the elderly health insurance
 program.
He missed the initial attempt to pass the bill last month, which failed by
a single vote.
"I return to the Senate today to keep a promise to our senior citizens,
and that’s to protect Medicare," Kennedy, a familiar presence in the
Senate chamber for half a century, said in a statement. "Win, lose or
draw, I wasn’t going to take the chance that my vote could make the
difference."
But the measure passed with a comfortable cushion of nine, 69-30,
including the votes of Sens. Claire McCaskill of Missouri, a Democrat, and
Pat Roberts of Kansas, a Republican.
GOP Sens. Kit Bond of Missouri and Sam Brownback of Kansas opposed it.
"With a strong bipartisan vote, which has a veto-proof majority, I now
urge President Bush to sign this bill immediately so that our seniors can
continue to get the care that they need and deserve," Roberts said.
Of the presidential candidates, Democratic Sen. Barack Obama voted for the
bill, but Republican Sen. John McCain didn’t show up to vote. He missed
the first vote, too.
Physician payments under Medicare faced a more than 10 percent cut. So did
fees paid to doctors under Tricare, the military’s health care program,
which follows the same payment schedule.
The Medicare pay cuts were due to go into effect July 1, but the Senate
extended the deadline for two weeks after the June vote in hopes of
reaching a settlement. The proposed Tricare cut was put off longer
The bill also included measures to expand preventive care coverage, more
quickly reimburse pharmacies and improve rural health programs.
The White House and many Republicans opposed some of the offsets in the
bill that would help pay for it. Among them was a cut in payments to
private, taxpayer-subsidized Medicare plans, known as Medicare Advantage,
which are operated through HMOs.
Republicans complained that the Democrats, who control the chamber,
wouldn’t allow any amendments. Some of lawmakers who opposed the bill last
month ended up backing it this time.
Election year politics was also a factor.
Supporters believe they have enough votes to override a threatened
presidential veto.
-------------------------
posted by Larry
Scott
Founder and Editor
VA Watchdog dot Org
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