Medicare payment cuts exceeding $700 million were eliminated from legislation that sought to redirect this funding to an unrelated trade program, following an overwhelming vote in the U.S. House of Representatives last week. Now the U.S. Senate must take action.
The success of Thursday’s House vote—397 to 32—largely can be attributed to efforts by the AMA and other health care groups and the bipartisan collaboration among members of the House, including the Doctors’ Caucus.
In the Senate version of the legislation, passed May 22, Medicare funding would be redirected to the trade program by extending Medicare sequestration cuts in current law through 2024 and adding an additional 0.25 percent cut. The additional cut would reduce $700 million in Medicare payments to physicians, hospitals and other health care providers in 2024.
“Reductions to Medicare reimbursements significantly impact patients and providers and can reduce access to care,” AMA President Steven J. Stack, MD, said in a statement following the House vote. “Medicare should not be used as a piggybank to fund other programs.”
The trade legislation package advancing in Congress continues to involve several complicated procedural maneuvers in the both the House and Senate. The AMA now is strongly urging the Senate to remove the provisions that use Medicare cuts to help fund this unrelated legislation.
“We encourage the U.S. Senate to move expeditiously to ensure that any final trade package does not include harmful Medicare cuts,” Dr. Stack said.
