[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 194 (Tuesday, December 18, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S15895]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          DOCTOR'S PAYMENT FIX

  Mr. MARTINEZ. Mr. President, I wish to address the issue of what is 
commonly referred to as the Medicare ``doctor fix.'' Unless Congress 
acts, there will be a 10-percent reduction to Medicare reimbursement 
rates in the coming year; putting good doctors further at odds with 
Medicare payments for their service.
  This is a problem that not only affects patients with Medicare but 
also our military veterans, many of whom rely on Medicare as their 
primary health care provider.
  Delaying the issue will put our veterans relying--on Tricare until 
the age of 65 and Medicare after retirement--at increased risk of 
additional health problems if their ability to see a doctor remains in 
question.
  If not addressed, millions of Americans could be denied immediate 
access to treatment when they need it most. It would also put an even 
greater strain on doctors, who are already forced to be selective in 
determining which Medicare patients they can treat.
  This is a choice no doctor should have to make, and our seniors and 
doctors deserve better. We have the opportunity to act before we leave 
in the coming days, and I urge my colleagues to consider the 
consequences that would result from an additional cut to the program.
  In my home State of Florida, the dilemma has reached a critical mass, 
with an increasing number of doctors leaving the program--refusing to 
continue treating a very vulnerable population. All because the 
bureaucracy is too much and reimbursement is too low.
  These are doctors that play important roles in treating seniors in 
their communities. These are doctors like Dr. Troy Tippett, a 
neurosurgeon in Pensacola, who is often faced with the choice of 
continuing to treat Medicare patients at a loss or refuse them because 
of declining reimbursements from Medicare.
  Dr. Tippett was so worried about the threat of further cuts to the 
Medicare reimbursements he receives, he recently called to let me know 
the detrimental impact the declining reimbursement rate would have on 
his ability to continue treating Medicare patients.
  I hope for the sake of good doctors like Dr. Tippett we can develop a 
comprehensive, long-term solution that fixes this problem once and for 
all.
  This is a problem, I believe, that we must fix soon, rather than 
kicking the can down the road and hoping the next Congress will provide 
an answer to the more than 40-million Medicare patients. But today, we 
can do our part by opposing a cut to the broken payment system that 
penalizes our doctors for treating Medicare patients.
  We owe it to the people who have worked so hard in life and need 
quality care now more than ever. We also owe it to the doctors who 
treat them on a regular basis.
  I urge my colleagues to support fixing the reimbursement rate that so 
many doctors in my State--and around the country--depend on, especially 
in the face of rising medical costs and skyrocketing medical 
malpractice insurance premiums.
  It is my understanding that we are very close to coming to agreement 
on a doctor fix and that floor action could occur very soon. I am 
hopeful we will have the opportunity to approve that fix. We must act 
because our physicians and their patients are counting on us.
  And while I am pleased we are about to address the problem--let's not 
make the mistake of leaving it as a short-term fix. The American people 
deserve a long-term solution. I look forward to coming back next year 
and working on a permanent ``doctor fix.''

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