Senate Vote Derails Long-term Medicare Physician Payment Fix

Source: AAFP Washington, D.C. Office

A procedural vote in the Senate on Oct. 21 effectively killed the Medicare Physician Fairness Act (S 1776), which sought to prevent cuts to Medicare’s physician payment rates over the next decade.  American Academy of Family Physicians pledged to continue the effort to repeal the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula and thanked the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), for her work.

On a vote of 47 to 53, the Senate failed to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed on S 1776.  All of the Senate Republicans voted no, expressing frustration at their inability to offer amendments and citing a failure to offset the bill's $245 billion cost.  Thirteen Democrats joined them in opposition to the bill.  The tally was 13 votes short of the 60 needed to invoke consider the bill.  View information on how your Senators voted. 

Although House Democratic leaders have committed to pass a long-term “doc fix” this year with offsetting spending cuts, it is likely that Congress will enact a one year “fix” to hold off the 21 percent cut in Medicare physician payments scheduled to take effect next January.