IV 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 863 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Medicare 
physician payment system must be immediately reformed in a long- 
term manner in order to stabilize Medicare payment to doctors, return 
equity to the program, and ensure that Medicare patients have access 
to a doctor of their choice. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 11, 2007 
Mr. BURGESS submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee 
on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 
the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 
the Medicare physician payment system must be imme-
diately reformed in a long-term manner in order to sta-
bilize Medicare payment to doctors, return equity to the 
program, and ensure that Medicare patients have access 
to a doctor of their choice. 
Whereas when Medicare was created in 1965, physicians were 
paid what they charged for a service and had the ability 
to bill patients for any costs that Medicare did not cover; 
Whereas starting in 1992, the charge-based payment system 
was replaced by the physician fee schedule that ultimately 
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led to the creation of the current Sustainable Growth 
Rate (‘‘SGR’’) method in 1998; 
Whereas the SGR attempts to control spending by estab-
lishing annual spending targets for all doctors’ visits, lab 
tests, physician-administered drugs, and imaging services 
covered under Medicare Part B and will reduce physician 
payments the following year if that spending target is ex-
ceeded; 
Whereas more and more of America’s seniors rely on out-
patient services and technology covered under Part B and 
medicine trends toward a standard of care that focuses 
on outpatient settings; 
Whereas due to this trend, actual spending on Medicare Part 
B services has been higher than the target established by 
the SGR formula since 2002; 
Whereas over the next several years the SGR formula will cut 
doctors’ reimbursement by an estimated 25 to 35 per-
cent; and 
Whereas deep cuts in physician reimbursement will force 
many doctors out of the Medicare program and leave 
many patients without access to a physician: Now, there-
fore, be it 
Resolved, That it is the Sense of the United States 
House of Representatives to immediately address this 
issue and halt any scheduled cuts to Medicare physician 
payments, and immediately begin working on a long-term 
solution and implement it by 2010 that pays physicians 
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in a fair and stable way that ensures Medicare patients 
have access to a doctor of their choice. 
Æ 
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