Congress Overrides Presidential Veto; Medicare Cuts Reversed for 2008- 2009
[Posted 07/17/08]

In a huge victory for CMA and all of organized medicine, Congress on Tuesday rebuffed a White House attempt to protect overpaid for-profit Medicare HMOs at the expense of physicians and patients and overturned President Bush’s veto of a bill (HR 6331) to stop the 15 percent Medicare physician payments cuts. The bill becomes law immediately and CMS will retroactively process claims based on the pre-July 1, 2008 rates.

CMA extends its heartiest thanks to the physicians of California who met with their Representatives and made phone calls to their offices. This victory was won through the one-on-one grassroots lobbying of physicians and their patients.

The House voted to override the veto by a vote of 383-41 (with 12 not voting). All California Representatives voted yes except Campbell, Doolittle, and Royce. Representatives Herger, Nunes, Radanovich, and Lungren originally voted no on HR 6331 but voted yes on the veto override. The Senate followed suit by overriding the veto on a vote of 70-26. Both Senators Feinstein and Boxer voted yes.

Please be sure to call your Representatives and thank them for their Yes vote. It is extremely important that we follow-up with our strong appreciation. Use the AMA Grassroots Hotline (800/833-6354). Enter your zip code and it will automatically connect you to your Representative.

CMA will now turn its focus to the 2009 campaign to enact long-term reform of the physician payment system. Last year, CMA led the nation by unveiling a long-term overhaul of the sustainable growth rate (SGR) physician payment formula and we will be aggressively pursuing its enactment next year.

Contact: Elizabeth McNeil, 415/882-3376 or emcneil@cmanet.org.