Doctors are facing a 10 percent cut in Medicare payments that will substantially impact patients’ access to health care.
The Senate recently failed to take up a bill that would have averted the cuts after it had been passed by the House of Representatives in a 355-to-59 vote. The health insurance industry opposed the bill, and President Bush had threatened to veto it because it would have cut funds for Medicare Advantage plans provided by private insurers.
Dr. Nancy H. Nielsen, president of the American Medical Association, warned that many doctors would “limit the number of new Medicare patients they treat” due to the cuts.
Under attack by AMA, the Bush administration postponed the cuts on June 30 until mid-July. It is up to Congress to suspend the cuts permanently.
There are 44 million people who depend on Medicare for their health care needs, of which less than 11 million are enrolled in the private Medicare Advantage.
