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DCCC: Rep. Latham tells seniors to find a new doctor
11/20/2009



Representative Tom Latham today said no to protecting seniors and people with disabilities by telling them to go find a new doctor. By voting against the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act, Latham refused to protect Medicare patients’ ability to keep seeing the doctors they know and trust by refusing to stop a 21 percent slash in Medicare payments to physicians.

“Representative Latham just said no to Iowa's seniors by refusing to stop a cut in Medicare payments. If Representative Tom Latham had his way, seniors would be turned away from the doctors they know and trust,” said Ryan Rudominer, National Press Secretary for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “Times are tough and seniors are already dealing with high prescription drug costs, the last thing they need is for Representative Latham to increase their health care costs and anxiety by allowing Medicare to cut payments to their doctor.”

Background

· The Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act blocks a 21 percent cut in the Medicare payment rate for doctors that is due to take effect in January 2010 [H.R. 3961, #909, 11/19/09].

· Instead, the measure preserves Medicare patients’ access to their doctors by replacing the scheduled payment cut with an increase based on the “Medicare Economic Index,” which will mean a 1.2 percent hike in Medicare payments to doctors.

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