Congress Overrides Presidential Veto
On July 15, Congress voted to override the President’s veto of HR 6331, the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, which now becomes law and stops the 10.6 percent physician payment cut that took effect July 1. The House of Representatives voted 383-41, as more Republicans supported the bill than in the previous House vote on the measure. Shortly after the House vote, the Senate also voted, 70-26, to override the veto.
ASTRO’s grassroots network played a critical role in the passage of this important legislation, as a record 523 activists sent 1,095 messages to their Senators on this legislation using ASTRO’s grassroots center Web site. While HR 6331 provides a positive 1.1 percent payment update in 2009, the delay in this year’s cuts means Medicare physicians will face a more than 20 percent cut Jan. 1, 2010, unless Congress acts again. “We’re so grateful for our colleagues across the country and ASTRO Government Relations staff who fought off these devastating cuts and created an environment where fundamental reform of the Medicare physician payment formula is now possible. We must use this reprieve wisely to advocate for Congress to create a new system that protects our profession and the patients we serve,” said Louis B. Harrison, M.D., ASTRO Chair.
This vote illustrates the critical role that grassroots contacts play in the legislative process.
ASTRO urges you to continue to stay involved in this important battle.
For more information, contact Dave Adler, assistant director of government relations.
Senate Approves Bill To Reverse Medicare Cuts
Kennedy’s Surprise Appearance Breaks Deadlock
The Senate voted July 9 to stop the 10.6 percent Medicare cuts by a veto proof margin after a dramatic, last minute appearance by Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.). The Senate previously failed by one vote on a procedural step necessary to consider HR 6331, the House-passed Medicare bill. Kennedy missed the first vote due to receiving treatments for cancer. Kennedy’s “yes” vote Wednesday was his first appearance on the Senate floor since his diagnosis, gave Democrats the necessary 60 votes to proceed, and resulted in several Republicans changing their votes to "yes."
Here is how your Senator voted.
HR 6331 would avert the 10.6 percent payment cut to Medicare physicians and provide a positive 1.1 percent payment update in 2009. Sixty-nine votes are enough to override a likely Presidential veto of the bill. The House also passed the measure with enough votes to override a veto.
ASTRO members have been contacting their Senators over the last few weeks, urging them to pass the Medicare bill and reverse the cuts, which took effect July 1. According to our records, more than 500 activists have sent over 1,000 messages to their Senators. This grassroots activity has greatly surpassed all previous ASTRO grassroots initiatives.
Please click here for more information or contact ASTRO’s Assistant Director of Government Relations Dave Adler.
Senate Gets Second Chance to Stop the 10.6 percent Medicare Physician Payment Cut
The first blow to physician groups occurred on June 26 when the Senate failed to pass a procedural vote necessary to consider HR 6331, the House-passed Medicare bill. The vote was 58-40, just shy of the 60 votes needed to proceed.
However, in the afternoon of July 9, the Senate is scheduled to have a second chance to reconsider HR 6331. It is urgent that you contact your Senator and tell them to vote yes! This may be the last opportunity to reverse the 10.6 percent Medicare physician payment cut that took effect July 1. It is crucial that you inform your Senator that these cuts will have a devastating impact on care for elderly cancer patients.
Here is how your Senator voted.
Since the House recessed for the July 4 holiday, the Senate failure means Congress missed its last chance to stop the 10.6 percent Medicare physician payment cut from taking effect on July 1.
In late June, a joint group of top House and Senate staff met with physician group representatives, including ASTRO staff, and said that there would be no Senate compromise legislation. They said the Senate would move forward with the House-passed bill with the intent of passing the bill in the Senate by a veto-proof margin. Senate Republicans blocked an initial effort by Senate Majority Leader Reid (D-Nev.) to bring the Medicare bill to a vote on the Senate floor, instead proposing a 30-day delay in the cuts, which Sen. Reid rejected. Following the failed procedural vote, Sen. Reid again rejected the Republican 30-day delay plan, and the Senate moved on to other business.
For more information, contact ASTRO’s Assistant Director of Government Relations Dave Adler.
House Passes Medicare Bill By Veto-Proof Margin; Senate Next
On June 25, 2008, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 6331, the Medicare Improvements for
Patients and Providers Act of 2008, which would avert the 10.6 percent payment cut to Medicare
physicians, provide a positive 1.1 percent payment update in 2009, as well as extend other provisions and make a number of policy changes. The vote was 355 to 59, which was more than the two-thirds vote required under House rules and more than enough votes to override President Bush's promised veto. While this House bill is based closely on Senate legislation that failed to pass earlier in June, the House vote puts serious pressure on the Senate to pass this legislation.The Senate is preparing to vote on the House bill prior to recessing for the July 4
holiday. For more info, go to http://capwiz.com/astro/home/.
Medicare Cut Countdown Continues: June 2008 Updated
With under a month left until physicians suffer a 10.6 percent payment cut on July 1, bipartisan talks among Senate leaders broke down last week, scuttling plans to finalize legislation before Congress left for its Memorial Day recess. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) said last week he would go ahead after the recess with a democratic bill to block the physician payment cut for 18 months and replace it with positive updates paid for by trimming payments to Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. Earlier this week, the Bush administration said that cuts to MA plans would not be signed into law by the president. The administration urged Congress to reestablish bipartisan talks around proposals that used cuts to other Medicare providers to pay for the physician fix. Baucus will meet this week with specialty societies, including ASTRO, to discuss the details and strategy of the Medicare Package. Details to follow.
Preventing Pay Cuts to Medicare Doctors: March 2008 Update
Senate Finance Committee leaders are working on legislation to stabilize in the short term Medicare payments to physicians. ASTRO staff attended a meeting with specialty societies and learned that current plans are to spend between $15 billion and $18 billion over 18 months to avert a 10.6 percent cut scheduled for July 1 and an additional 5 percent cut on January 1, 2009. However, this short-term fix would leave physicians facing as much as a 20 percent payment cut in 2010 without additional action. Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) has not announced how he plans to fund the bill, although he has not ruled out cutting Indirect Medical Education paid to Medicare Advantage plans.
In order to avoid disruptions in payments and additional administrative fees, the Bush administration has said Congress must pass a Medicare bill and send it to President Bush by June 16. Due to the Memorial Day recess, this would give Congress only two weeks to approve the bill. While there is broad congressional support to stop the 10.6 percent payment cut, there has been no agreement on how to pay for this fix and no legislative action has taken place yet.
ASTRO will continue to monitor this situation as events rapidly develop leading up to the July 1 deadline.
Children’s Health and Medicare Protection (CHAMP) Act (HR 3162) Passed by House
On August 1, 2007, the House passed the Children’s Health and Medicare Protection (CHAMP) Act (HR 3162) by a largely party-line vote of 225 to 204. The bill, which includes important language for radiation oncology and is supported by ASTRO, would expand the children’s health insurance program, avert a 9.9 percent cut in Medicare physician payments scheduled for January 1, 2008, and replace the sustainable growth rate formula with new spending targets covering six physician service areas.
ASTRO achieved a major legislative victory by securing critical committee report language accompanying the CHAMP Act that recognizes the distinction between radiation therapy services and diagnostic medical imaging. According to the committee’s report, “While medical imaging is a component of radiation oncology procedures, these services are not considered to be imaging services." This recommendation would prevent radiation oncology procedures from being included in the spending target group for imaging services; an area that could face significant cuts if the bill is enacted.
During the August recess, staff from the House and Senate, which passed a smaller children’s health insurance expansion without Medicare changes this week, will begin working out the many differences between the two packages informally. When Congress returns after Labor Day, the official conference will begin. Although it is far from certain what provisions will be contained in the final package, vote counts in both the House and Senate have begun, and there is some speculation that Congress may be able to override a presidential veto. The President issued a veto threat on the CHAMP Act, objecting to the bill’s SCHIP expansion, cuts to Medicare Advantage, increased the tobacco tax and other issues.
ASTRO strongly encourages you to capitalize on the opportunity to meet locally with your Senators and Representatives to discuss important healthcare issues, including Medicare payments and funding for cancer research, during the August congressional recess. Please find information below to meet with your members of Congress at their local offices or at Town Hall meetings during the August recess.