Date: 2010-11-29
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

While that reduction shows movement in the right direction. any reduction will hinder the ability of doctors to effectively treat patients who need their care and who are the most vulnerablepregnant women. children. the elderly and. of course. the feeble. who are suffering from preexisting diseases or chronic illnesses. So it is important that H.R. 5712. the Physician Payment and Therapy Relief Act of 2010. is passed. What I would ask. Madam Speaker. is: Who are we if we cannot take care of the least of those? I dont consider doctors wanting more than they deserve. I consider doctors getting what they deserve to help care for the sick of this Nation. I hope that we will have a bill that the President can sign and that we will be able to address the question of good health care in America. Madam Speaker. I rise today in support of the amendment to H.R. 5712. "The Physician Payment and Therapy Relief Act of 2010." Under the current health care law. more than 32 million additional Americans are expected to get insurance. either through an extension of Medicaid. the statefederal program for the poor. or through exchanges where lowand moderateincome individuals and families will be able to purchase private insurance with federal subsidies. The measure will require most Americans to have health insurance coverage. and it will regulate private insurers more closely. banning practices such as denial of care for preexisting conditions. A key part of the new health law also encourages the development of "accountable care organizations" that would allow doctors to team up with each other and with hospitals. in new ways. to provide medical services. There are some very good provisions that seek to ultimately benefit the public. Today. however. increasing numbers of doctors are not accepting Medicare patients because the payments they are receiving are inadequate to cover basic expenses of administering care. In fact the Houston Chronicle reported that more than 300 Texas doctors have dropped the program in the last two years. including 50 in the first three months of 2010. According to Dr. Susan Bailey. president of the Texas Medical Association. the Medicare system is on the verge of imploding unless action is taken by Congress to ensure that Medicare payments to physicians are not cut drastically. Madam Speaker. I urge my colleagues to support not only H.R. 5712 but also the overall health of many struggling Americans. I am an avid supporter of health care reform and I stand today in steadfast support of providing affordable health care for all Americans. However. if doctors are unwilling to accept patients with Medicare because they fear they will not receive payment for their services we face a serious dilemma. It is our duty as legislators to provide such payment guidelines for the legislation intended to provide affordable quality health care for all Americans to ensure that it achieves is purpose. In the final physician rule. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services modified the MPPR policy to apply a 25 percent reduction. rather than the proposed 50 percent reduction to physicians Medicare payments. While that reduction shows movement in the right direction. any reduction will hinder doctors ability to effectively treat patients who need their care the most like children and the elderly. I ask my colleagues to please join me in supporting H.R. 5712. the Physician Payment and Therapy Relief Act of 2010.