In breaking news today, the Senate vote for cloture on S. 1776, the Medicare Physician Fairness Act of 2009, has just finished--53 to 47 against cloture. (Cloture is the procedure by which the Senate can overcome a filibuster by placing a time limit on consideration of a bill, but only by vote of three-fifths of the full Senate.) Cloture in essence cuts off debate of a bill and allows it to go directly to a vote. S. 1776 would permanently cancel the upcoming 21% cut in Medicare payments to doctors and "sunset" the application of the sustainable growth rate formula. (See DM 10509)

Harry Reid (D-NV), Senate Majority Leader, had recently discussed the importance of S. 1776, saying that if the scheduled pay cut occurs, many doctors may choose to stop seeing Medicare patients, which would then affect seniors, veterans and the disabled. "[It] is important that we put this behind us so that Medicare patients and doctors know for the next decade that they'll have a doctor to go to when they're sick," Reid stated.

Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), sponsor of the bill, held a press conference this week with representatives from the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), the American Medical Association (AMA) and the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) also to rally for the bill.

"Americans cannot receive the quality care they deserve unless they have access to their doctor. That's why I am proud to sponsor this bill to make sure seniors, persons with disabilities, and military families can continue seeing theirs," Senator Stabenow stated in a press release on the Senate Democrats' Web site. "Without eliminating this flawed payment system, doctors could be forced to close their doors to patients who trust and need them. This legislation will also help pave the way to change how we pay doctors, shifting the focus to pay for quality of care rather than quantity of treatments."

Meanwhile in his weekly address, President Obama had harsh words for the insurance industry's recent opposition to insurance reform. "There's still those who would try to kill reform at any cost," the president stated. "For decades, whenever we have tried to reform the system, the insurance companies have tried everything in their considerable power to stop us....In the past decade premiums have doubled. Over the past few years the total out of pocket costs for people with insurance...rose by a third."

The high costs of health care insurance to businesses and individuals will "devastate" the U.S. economy without reform, Obama said, expressing concern that the insurance industry "is rolling out the big guns, and breaking out their massive war chest to marshal their forces for one last fight to save the status quo." Obama criticized "misleading" messages in advertising campaigns and in particular studies such as the recent PricewaterhouseCoopers report (See DM 10468) which Obama said "willfully ignored" large parts of the recent senate health care bill. Obama countered that the Congressional Budget Office's study of the bill found that reform will lower premiums and out of pocket costs and prevent discrimination. Passing health insurance reform is a great test of the American public's desire for change, Obama concluded, urging Congress to stand up against power ploys of the industry.

The President's remarks can be accessed at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Weekly-Address-Taking-the-Insurance-Companies-on-Down-the-Stretch/

Senator Reid's statements can be accessed at: http://reid.senate.gov/newsroom/102009_medicarefix.cfm

Senator Stabenow's statements can be accessed at: http://democrats.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=319115&

Read the AMA statement at www.dotmed.com/news/story/10538.

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