Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA) voted in the U.S. House of Representatives Thursday evening to pass legislation retroactively reversing the 21 percent cut in Medicare and TRICARE payments to doctors and preserving access to quality health care for seniors and TRICARE families.

This marks the third time in seven months that Connolly has voted for the so-called “doc fix” to reverse the automatic cuts in doctor payments.  The first two House-passed bills died in the Senate, including legislation that would have permanently eliminated the threat of cuts in Medicare and TRICARE reimbursement rates.

The Senate bill passed by the House is effective through November 30, 2010 and also includes a 2.2 percent increase in doctor payments.  The legislation is fully paid for and does not add to the federal deficit.  The bill passed the House 417-1 and now goes to the President for his signature.

“I supported this short-term ‘doc fix’ for Medicare and TRICARE because it was the only option we could get from the Senate at this time, but I am going to continue to fight to permanently end this problem,” Connolly said.  “We must provide peace of mind to our seniors, veterans and their families and guarantee they have access to the care they need.”