[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 100 (Wednesday, June 30, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1247]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE FOR AMERICA ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 24, 2010

  Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3962, which 
will protect patient access to their doctors and prevent a 21 percent 
cut in Medicare payments to doctors, and also boost physician payments 
by 2.2 percent through November 30.
  Congress has spent the last decade--under both Republican and 
Democratic leadership--overriding the Sustainable Growth Rate, SGR, 
formula to prevent America's doctors from facing pay cuts in Medicare 
and to ensure seniors can keep their doctor.
  Last November, the House passed H.R. 3961, the Medicare Physician 
Payment Reform Act, permanently fixing the SGR. Democrats have long 
recognized that this formula is fundamentally flawed and have been 
working to fix it only to be stymied by Republicans in the Senate. This 
bill, though necessary, will require Congress to review the formula 
again in December when the current fix expires.
  Temporary fixes are not the answer. We must have a permanent solution 
to this problem to protect our Medicare patients and retired military 
veterans.
  I urge my colleagues to work toward a permanent fix of the 
Sustainable Growth Rate.

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