Legislation Ensures Seniors and Soldiers Can Access Health Care, Choose Their Doctors

(Washington, DC) – Today, Pennsylvania Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-8th District) cast a vote to ensure that seniors and service members have access to health care and the doctor of their choice with his support for H.R. 3961, the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act of 2009, a bipartisan bill to ensure that doctors provide high quality care. This bill protects Medicare recipients, service members, and military families by eliminating a steep cut in Medicare and TRICARE doctor payments scheduled to go into effect in 2010. Rep. Murphy has fought for improvements to Medicare, and this legislation represents a crucial step toward strengthening benefits and protecting seniors’ access to their providers. This bill will permanently reform the doctor payment system, providing extra reimbursements for primary care services and for seniors throughout the health care system.

“I’m proud to support a bill that will not only help our seniors, but also our troops,” said Rep. Murphy. “By eliminating these steep cuts, doctors will be able to continue providing high quality care for those who need it most, without having to compromise their bottom line.”

“H.R. 3961 will make certain that millions of Americans in Medicare will be able to keep their access to and choice of physicians, and that’s why we support it,” said AARP Senior Vice President David Sloane.

“It is imperative to ensure that beneficiaries have a good choice of primary care and specialist doctors, and maintaining access to high-quality physicians is fundamental to a strong Medicare program,” said National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare President and CEO Barbara Kennelly. “H.R. 3961 will halt these severe cuts to physician reimbursement rates, preventing Congress from having to act on a perennial basis to forestall precipitous drops in payments.”

The Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act has been endorsed by a wide range of organizations representing patients, doctors, and other health care providers, including the American Medical Association, AARP, the Military Officers Association of America, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Physicians, the American College of Surgeons, and the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare.

For Immediate Release, November 19, 2009
Contact: Kate Hansen, (202) 225-4276