[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 863 Introduced in House (IH)]







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 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.

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 led to the creation of the 
        current Sustainable Growth Rate (``SGR'') method in 1998;
Whereas the SGR attempts to control spending by establishing 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 
        exceeded;
Whereas more and more of America's seniors rely on outpatient 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 percent; 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, therefore, 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 in a fair and stable way that ensures Medicare patients have 
access to a doctor of their choice.
                                 <all>