Physician Payment Relief
Efforts Die in the Senate
November 22, 2002-Senate Finance Committee Chairman
Max Baucus (D-Mont.) Nov. 19 announced his opposition to House-passed
legislation (H.R.
5063) that included a Medicare physician payment provision,
arguing that the legislation did not grant the Bush Administration
explicit authority to fix errors in the physician payment
sustainable growth rate (SGR). The provision would have protected
the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) from lawsuits
that might result from administrative corrections to the physician
payment SGR. The Senate adjourned on Nov. 20 without addressing
H.R. 5063.
Calling the legislation 'budget gimmickry and ineffective
legal language,' Baucus in a prepared statement
urged his colleagues to join in opposing H.R. 5063. Baucus
remarked that either "games are being played with legislative
language and administrative authority… or physicians
are being sold a bill of goods that they should not count
on to fix their problem."
Baucus' announcement stems from a Nov. 15 letter
cosigned with Finance Committee Ranking Minority Member Charles
Grassley (R-Iowa), which was sent to Health and Human Services
(HHS) Secretary Tommy Thompson, CMS Administrator Thomas Scully,
HHS General Counsel, and the Assistant Attorney General (Civil
Division). In the letter, Sens. Baucus and Grassley dispute
claims by some House members that the physician payment provision
in H.R. 5063 would not require additional spending by Congress.
They indicated that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
estimated a cost of approximately $43 billion over 10 years.
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) had
requested a similar
cost estimate from CBO.
In his prepared statement, Sen. Baucus pointed out that
the 10-year cost of the physician fix in H.R. 5063 is "roughly
the same" as the broad-based Medicare package he and Sen.
Grassley introduced in October (S.
3018). The bipartisan S. 3018 included relief for physicians,
hospitals, rural providers, and states, as well as other groups.
Information:
Christiane Mitchell, Senior Legislative Affairs Manager
AAMC Government Relations
cmitchell@aamc.org
(202) 828-0526
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