Hello,

Messages | My Profile | Logout | Renew

• Health
• Money
• Leisure
• Make a Difference
• Family
• Online Community
• Membership

Today the U.S. Senate blocked critical legislation to protect access to doctors for the 44 million Americans who rely on Medicare. The Medicare Physician Fairness Act (S. 1776) would have replaced today’s broken doctor payment system, which calls for a 21.5 percent cut in physician pay in January. The bill failed to pass a key procedural vote in the Senate today.

 

“We are disappointed that Senators Kent Conrad and Byron Dorgan voted to block this important Medicare bill from open debate and an up-or-down vote on the Senate floor. This bill would permanently replace the broken Medicare physician payment system so people in the program could continue to see their doctor,” said AARP North Dakota spokesperson Lyle Halvorson.

 

AARP strongly supports the Medicare Physician Fairness Act, introduced by Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI). This legislation permanently repeals Medicare’s flawed Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) physician payment formula, which has required repeated Congressional action to prevent unwarranted cuts that could harm access to doctors for people in Medicare. Repealing the SGR will stop an unprecedented 21.5 percent pay cut that otherwise will occur in January 2010, and additional cuts in future years.

 

AARP notified the 111^th Congress that it was tracking roll call votes on key legislation important to its 40 million members and reporting the outcomes of these votes back to its members.

 

“We believe people make the right choices when they understand the issues and position taken by their elected officials. AARP intends to ensure that its 86,000 members in North Dakota get that information,” Halvorson said.