Medicare Update

I have been tardy with the updates. In case you do not get the ARA Friday alerts here is an update to the Medicare Doc Fix bill.

According to the Associated Press, the Bush administration is
threatening to veto any legislation that protects doctors'
Medicare payments at the expense of private insurers. Beginning
on July 1, reimbursement rates for doctors will drop 10.6% when
they treat older and disabled patients participating in
Medicare. To keep that from happening, lawmakers are looking at
finding at least $9 billion in savings from other Medicare
programs over the next five years. Medicare Advantage private
insurers are at the top of the list for Democrats and some
Republicans to cut, since they receive generous government
subsidies to serve their 9.5 million beneficiaries. The veto
threat came in a May 22 letter to Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA)
that was circulated Thursday on Capitol Hill. Sen. Max Baucus
(D-MT) is overseeing the crafting of Medicare legislation on the
Senate side. His spokeswoman noted that while the senator was
aware of the administration's concerns, the government pays
about 13% more for patients in Medicare Advantage than for
comparable patients in traditional Medicare. "The Bush
Administration is putting the interests of private insurers
before those of seniors," said Ruben Burks, Secretary-Treasurer
of the Alliance. "Medicare beneficiaries need the doctor payment
issue to be resolved quickly, and veto threats that protect
corporate interests don't move the ball forward."