June 25, 2008 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Sali Votes to Protect Idaho Senior Citizens and calls for a clean vote on Medicare payments for physicians.
Yesterday, Congressman Bill Sali voted to protect health care options and choice for senior citizens.  After a similar bill failed to pass the Senate, the House considered legislation intended to avert impending cuts in Medicare payments to physicians but would have done so by cutting seniors’ access to the popular Medicare Advantage program.

The measure would cut $50 billion out of Medicare Advantage.  Medicare Advantage funding is used by 1.7 million seniors across the country, including many in Idaho, to buy down premiums and eliminate co-pays, provide enhanced benefits such as vision and dental benefits and provide access to affordable prescription drugs.
“Many seniors opt into Medicare Advantage, but the effect of this bill would be devastating to the program and older Americans themselves,” Sali said.  “This bill will displace more than 1.7 million seniors in 48 states.  Furthermore, the confusion for seniors and disruption in care this bill would cause is inexcusable.”

This legislation stems from the need to address the 10.6 percent reduction in Medicare payments to physicians that is scheduled to take affect on July 1st, a deadline Congress has known about since December of last year.

“Many providers will stop taking Medicare patients if reimbursement rates are too low,” Sali said.  “My mother-in-law’s doctor stopped seeing her this year because he was already losing too much money on Medicare patients.  

“We heard doctors warning us of these cuts all last year.  Congress needs to deal with the physician payment cuts but this 11th-hour attempt just isn’t the way to do it.  Instead, we should be discussing legislation that provides doctors with a payment increase without gutting options for the Medicare Advantage Program that so many of our seniors have chosen,” said Sali. 

Because of the impasse in the Senate and the risk of a presidential veto, Members of the House expect to vote again on a Medicare bill that will address these issues, without the devastating cuts to Medicare Advantage.  Sali noted, “Congress needs to stop playing politics with seniors and doctors and send a clean bill to the President for his signature.” 

Sali has addressed a number of critical health care issues this Congress.  Legislation and initiatives Sali support include:
·       Co-sponsorship of H.R. 1474, Fair and Speedy Treatment (FAST) of Medicare Prescription Drug Claims Act of 2007.  The bill would amend Title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require prompt payment of clean claims to pharmacies by prescription drug plans.
·       Co-sponsorship of H.R. 971, the Community Pharmacy Fairness Act of 2007, which would make antitrust laws apply to negotiations between groups of independent pharmacies, health plans and health insurance issuers.
·       Co-sponsorship of H.R. 5445 which would increase Medicare payments for physicians' services through December 31, 2009.   
·       Co-signatory of a letter to Energy & Commerce and Ways & Means Committees regarding upcoming Medicare cuts, objecting to the cuts in reimbursement rates and supporting a reform of the payment system.
·       Co-sponsorship of H.R. 748 Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act of 2007, which amends Title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to repeal the outpatient therapy cap.
·       Co-sponsorship of H.R. 3140, the Saving Our Community Pharmacies Act of 2007, to amend Title XIX of the Social Security Act to ensure and foster continued beneficiary access to generic drugs under the Medicaid Program by setting pharmacy reimbursement based on retail acquisition cost and to promote the use of generic drugs.
·       Co-sponsorship of H.R. 621, the Home Oxygen Patient Protection Act of 2007, to amend part B of Title XVIII of the Social Security Act to restore the Medicare treatment of ownership of oxygen equipment to that in effect before enactment of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005.