Must Call. ALERT: House set to vote on SGR and Teaching Rule reform!!!
Call your Representative and urge a “YES” vote on H.R. 6331 The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote Tuesday on H.R. 6331, a bill that would stop the massive 10.6% Medicare payment cut scheduled for implementation on July 1. H.R. 6331, the “Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act” would avert Medicare payment cuts AND reform the Medicare anesthesiology teaching rule! ASA strongly supports the bill. ASA members must call their Representatives and urge a “YES” vote on H.R. 6331. Call the Capitol Switchboard, (202) 225-3121. Ask to speak to your Representative. If you do not know your Representative, simply provide your zip code to the Capitol Switchboard, and the operator will connect you. Urge your Representative to vote “YES” on H.R. 6331. Introduced by Ways and Means Committee chair Charles Rangel (D-NY) and Energy and Commerce Committee chair John Dingell (D-MI), H.R. 6331 includes many critical Medicare provisions included in S. 3101 (Baucus, D-MT; Snowe, R-ME) which the Senate considered on July 10, several of which are vital to anesthesiology. Of particular importance, the legislation: Blocks Medicare payment cuts for 18 months through December 31, 2009 and provides a 1.1% positive Medicare payment update for 2009. The bill’s 18-month fix provides time for Congress to develop an alternative update mechanism to address the additional Medicare payment cuts still projected for 2010 and beyond. Includes the language of H.R. 2053, authored by Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA) and Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) and cosponsored by 124 additional Representatives, that restores full Medicare payment to anesthesiology teaching programs. Extends the 1.0 floor on the work GPCI through December 31, 2009. Increases the PQRI bonus to 2.0% for 2009 and 2010. CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE NOW! Tell him or her that this is a crucial vote for medicine and that you expect a “yes” vote on H.R. 6331. On the Senate side, ASA is grateful for the leadership of Sens. Max Baucus (D-MT) and Charles Grassley (R-IA), who continue negotiations on a Medicare bill that ASA trusts will retain the language of S. 2056, authored by Sens. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and Jon Kyl (R-AZ), and cosponsored by 29 additional Senators. S. 2056 is the Senate companion to H.R. 2053. Please watch for further legislative updates, and be prepared to take action when called upon. Your support is vital to the success of these efforts! American Society of Anesthesiologists 847-825-5586
