washingtonscene
L E G I S L AT I V E N E W S
T H AT A F F E C T S Y O U
Cuts Won’t Die
Congress overrode the president’s veto and prevented a
10.6-percent cut in Medicare and TRICARE payments as of
July 1 — but there’s a 21-percent cut looming in January 2010.
O
n July 15 — the last day occupational, and speech therapy is
Push Senators for
before Medicare started restored for medically necessary care.
Support Now
implementing a 10.6-per- But the gorilla in the room hasn’t a73 Your help is needed to
cent cut in payments to disappeared, because this legislation
ensure the Senate fixes
doctors for visits since didn’t change the permanent statutory
several “people problems”
July 1 — President George rate-setting formula. It only
when it takes up the
FY 2009 Defense Autho-
W. Bush vetoed the FY 2008 “kicked the can” on the
rization Bill in early Sep-
emergency supplemental Medicare problem for an- tember. Visit www.moaa
appropriations bill that in- We hope the other 18 months.
.org/senateamendments
cluded legislation designed
new admin-
The problem will come
now to urge your senators
to reverse the cut. back with a greater-than-
to vote for TRICARE,
But that same afternoon,
istration and retired pay, SBP, and
Congress
ever vengeance at the end
reserve fixes.
both the House and Sen- of next year, when we’ll be
ate fl exed their “unveto” will work facing a 21-percent cut in
authority — voting in over-
more pro-
Medicare and TRICARE
whelming majorities to
ductively on
payments as of January
override the president’s
action and put the reversal
a permanent
2010 if Congress doesn’t
into law.
Medicare/
act in the interim to fi x the
current statutory payment
In doing that, Congress
TRICARE
formula that imposes these
made sure several positive
fix.
ever-larger rate reductions
things happened: year after year.
a73 Medicare resumed paying Let’s hope Congress and
claims at the early-2008 rate, the new McCain or Obama
retroactive to July 1, without imposing the administration will work more produc-
10.6-percent cut for doctor visits during tively on this problem next year than
the interim period. Congress and the Bush administration
a73 TRICARE payments will continue at the have so far.
current rate without interruption. (TRI- No reasonable doctor is going to want
CARE rate changes weren’t scheduled to to take Medicare or TRICARE patients at
take effect until late summer, so no rever- a further 21-percent discount when these
sal was needed.) two programs already pay far less than any
a73 Medicare and TRICARE payments to other U.S. insurance plan.
doctors will be increased by 1.1 percent as And kicking the can one year at a time
of Jan. 1, 2009. doesn’t solve anything if it just keeps mak-
a73 Medicare coverage for physical, ing the next year’s cut even bigger.
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 8 M I L I T A R Y O F F I C E R 3 1
SSept_ washington scene.indd 31ept_ washington scene.indd 31 88/6/08 9:16:42 PM/6/08 9:16:42 PM
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