[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 170 (Friday, November 21, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S15399]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                REPEALING THE MEDICARE PHYSICIAN FEE CUT

  Mr. GRAHAM of South Carolina. Mr. President, I express my support for 
repealing the Medicare physician fee cut. The issue of reimbursements 
for physicians who treat Medicare patients has been an ongoing battle. 
Currently, these reimbursements are inadequate and inefficiently paid 
through a bureaucratic system. Some physicians have been even been 
forced to refuse Medicare recipients due to these inappropriate 
reimbursement levels. With so many Medicare recipients who need medical 
services in South Carolina, the situation with low reimbursements poses 
a challenge to both physicians and patients.
  I have supported updating and increasing the reimbursements 
physicians receive under the Medicare program. The schedule of fee cuts 
for these reimbursements has been temporarily suspended due to the 
actions of Congress. I supported legislation to repeal physician fee 
cuts for both fiscal year 2002 and 2003. However, in October 2003, the 
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, CMS, reported that the 
physician fee cut for 2004 would be 4.5 percent. This necessitates a 
further repeal to ensure this fee cut does not move forward.
  While annual repeals of the physician fee cuts are vital, I also 
support a substantive change to the reimbursement calculations so 
physicians are not held in limbo each year regarding their fee updates. 
I am hopeful that Congress will address this issue in a comprehensive 
manner.
  Since I support legislative action to make sure this cut is repealed 
and to ensure future repeals are dealt with effectively, I am 
exceedingly concerned that the most current repeal in the Medicare 
physician fee cut is contained within the mammoth Medicare prescription 
drug bill. This blocks me voting solely on the merit of the repeal.
  I have many reasons a to why I plan to oppose the Medicare 
prescription drug bill conference report. None of my reasons are 
concerns with the Medicare physician fee cut repeal. Rather, my 
opposition stems from the lack of real cost containment of the program, 
exclusion of true Medicare reform, the weakening of the premium support 
issue, the treatment of ``dual eligibles'' coverage, and other issues 
related to oncology drugs, durable medical equipment, DME, and local 
pharmacies.
  It frustrates me that this latest repeal is in a bill with literally 
dozens of other Medicare provisions in a $400 billion dollar bill. 
While I cannot support the Medicare prescription drug bill, I will 
continue to support the repeal of next year's Medicare physician fee 
cut and addressing the ongoing issue of fee cuts in a comprehensive 
manner. I am hopeful that our leadership will give us a vehicle for a 
straight up or down vote on this issue.

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