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H.R. 6091, The Save Medicare Act of 2008
- This item is from the 110th Congress (2007-2008) and is no longer current. Comments, voting, and wiki editing have been disabled, and the cost/savings estimate has been frozen.
Comparing revision saved on May 21, 2008, 19:30:22 (webmaster), with revision saved on May 23, 2008, 19:30:35 (webmaster):
H.R. 6091 would amend title XVIII of the Security Act to preserve access to physicians' services under the Medicare Program.
== Detailed Summary ==
<summary>
(Log inSave Medicare Act of 2008 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, as amended by the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007, to: (1) increase the Medicare physician payment update for 2009; and (2) extend the physician quality reporting system, the incentive payment program for physician scarcity areas, the floor on the work geographic adjustment to edit the wikiphysician fee schedule, and be the firstaccommodation for physicians ordered to provideactive duty in the armed services.
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the provisions of, and amendments made by, this Act should be deficit neutral over the five year period beginning on October 1, 2008; and (2) Congress should address the challenges facing the Medicare program in a detailed summaryfiscally responsible manner.
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the Medicare program should provide payments to physicians and other health professionals that serve as positive incentives for participation in voluntary initiatives to improve health care quality; and (2) financing for such initiatives should be non-punitive and exempt from the bill!)Medicare physician fee schedule budget neutrality requirements.
</summary>
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== Status of the Legislation ==
<status>
Latest Major Action: 5/20/2008: Referred to House committee. Status: 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.
</status>
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== Points in Favor ==
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== Points Against ==
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Visitor Comments
Dan
June 9, 2008, 10:31am (report abuse)To automatically reduce payment rates because utilization is increasing makse no sense when the vast majority of the increase is related to the ageing population.
kay
June 18, 2008, 10:59am (report abuse)It is vitally important for this act to pass. I currently work for a physician practice and physicians are having a tough time making it with the current reimbursment rates from Medicare. Unfortunately, most insurers utilize the medicare rates as the basis for payment also. The medicare payment rates need to be increased to reflect the cost of doing business in today's world. The current rates are just about what they were in 2001 - this clearly reflects the lack of concern by Congress of health care delivery in America. Too many physicians have had to close their practice because the cost of doing business is not reflected in the payments they receive.