Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-Texas), Chairman on the Congressional Health Care Caucus, released the following statement after voting “yes” on the 19-month extension to Medicare physician payments: ”When will our nation’s doctors finally get the permanent fix to the Medicare payment formula that they need and deserve? This nagging problem was ignored in the Democrats’ sweeping health care reform legislation, and even before then, and now once again today, only monthly fixes are being made. Each time the Democratic Leadership in Congress puts off a permanent fix, the problem only gets worse and more expensive. I have a bill - HR 3963, the Ensuring the Future Physician Workforce Act – that would finally implement a permanent fix to the formula Medicare uses to determine payment to doctor. The legislation would repeal the flawed SGR formula and create a sustainable and reliable payment schedule using the Medicare Economic Index."
Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-Texas), Chairman on the Congressional Health Care Caucus, released the following statement after voting “yes” on the 19-month extension to Medicare physician payments:
”When will our nation’s doctors finally get the permanent fix to the Medicare payment formula that they need and deserve? This nagging problem was ignored in the Democrats’ sweeping health care reform legislation, and even before then, and now once again today, only monthly fixes are being made. Each time the Democratic Leadership in Congress puts off a permanent fix, the problem only gets worse and more expensive. I have a bill - HR 3963, the Ensuring the Future Physician Workforce Act – that would finally implement a permanent fix to the formula Medicare uses to determine payment to doctor. The legislation would repeal the flawed SGR formula and create a sustainable and reliable payment schedule using the Medicare Economic Index.
“America’s seniors are finding it more and more difficult to find Medicare doctors, and today’s so-called doc fix will do nothing more than kick the can down the road one more time. The time has come for Congress to pass a permanent fix.”
Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D., is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations, and a member of the Health and Energy & Environment subcommittees. He is also a member of the bipartisan, bicameral Joint Economic Committee. Prior to becoming a member of Congress in 2002, Congressman Burgess practiced medicine in North Texas for over 25 years.
