Bush Vetoes Medicare Improvement Bill

Congress And White House Agree On Many Provisions, But Not On How To Pay For Them

(CBS/AP)  President Bush on Tuesday vetoed a bill designed to protect doctors from a 10.6 percent cut in their reimbursement rates when treating Medicare patients.

The White House supports rescinding the pay cut, but objects to the way the legislation would finance the plan, largely by reducing spending on private health plans. Both chambers of Congress are expected to move quickly to try to override the veto, beginning with the House.

CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller reports this is the 12th veto of the Bush presidency. To date, three of his vetoes have been overridden by Congress.

"I support the primary objective of this legislation, to forestall reductions in physician payments," Mr. Bush said in a statement. "Yet taking choices away from seniors to pay physicians is wrong."

Lawmakers are under pressure from doctors and the elderly patients they serve to void the rate cut, which kicked in on July 1. The cut is based on a formula that establishes lower reimbursement rates when Medicare spending levels exceed established targets.

Instead of a cut, the legislation would freeze rates for 2008 and would increase them by 1.1 percent in 2009. The legislation generates the revenue necessary to pay doctors more by reducing spending on private health insurance plans. Those plans serve more than 9 million people through the Medicare Advantage program.

Insurers and the Bush administration argued that the changes lawmakers sought will lead to benefit cuts and to fewer Medicare Advantage plans. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that over the course of five years, enrollment in Medicare Advantage will grow to 12 million rather than to 14.3 million.

However, Democratic lawmakers and some Republicans believe that the government's payments to the plans are too generous and that those payments drive up costs for the taxpayer as well as all 44 million participants in the program.

While the focus on the bill has largely been on changes for doctors and private insurers, virtually every type of health care provider as well as millions of patients have a stake in the legislation.

For consumers, lawmakers lowered the copayments for mental health treatment and allowed more people to qualify for the government's help in paying their monthly premiums.

For providers, such as pharmacist, the legislation ensured that they're paid promptly by Medicare drug plans and delayed changes that would have cut their reimbursements when dispensing generic drugs for Medicaid patients.

[fush2]

he shouldve let the bill pass...doctors get paid alot anywayz

[jlagat]

I''m a do*che bag.

I have been supporting losers and dumb enough to believe anything my government says since 2000.

Posted by CarlyLaine at 05:56 AM : Jul 16, 2008

Wow. I didn''t think it would be possible to get that much truth out of a Bush supporter.

[carlylaine]

I would love to hear all of you whine (in unison please) once Osama ben Bama gets in.

"HE''s GIVING AWAY EVERYTHING!!! wa wa wa...he''s raising our taxes...we are not able to go anywhere because gas is too high...we got laid off....it''s BUSH''s fault. How are we going to pay our bills..whine whine wa wa wa...it''s Reagan''s fault...we had nothing now we have less...whine blubber whine whine effing whine...he won''t defend us to countries..Where can we live in peace?"

You guys are simply simple and pathetic.

[eroosevelt08]

Senator Grassley from Iowa voted against the Medicare bill. He should go home and stay there.

[eroosevelt08]

Senator Grassley from Iowa voted against the Medicare bill. He should go home and stay there.

[tryhonesty]

Why does Bush hate Americans so much???

[the74blaster]

Bush just believes that those who are in need of health care should have the choice of dying instead, if they can''''t afford it.

Posted by rudy654,

A perfect example of compasionate conservatism.

[hsinco-2009]

Closing the Enron Loophole will help stabilize health care costs too!

[hsinco-2009]

Wait until the McCain health care plan is instituted.

All of us will be in need of health care but we will have a $5000 tax credit!

Whooo-Hoooo!!!! (Sarcasm!!!!!!)

[hsinco-2009]

Now will the Repugs in Congress sustain his veto or over-ride?

They do have re-election to think about. It will be interesting to watch, especially McSame. Will he show his true colors again and vote with his buddy GW Bu$h or will he just not show up for the vote again?

[rudy654-2009]

Bush just believes that those who are in need of health care should have the choice of dying instead, if they can''t afford it.

[bobnjersey]

[Why did they put that language in the bill? ]
[Posted by smurfcrusher at 04:03 PM : Jul 15, 2008]

they (congressman) didn''t put that in there ... they had help from the pharmaceutical lobbyists ... who wrote that part for them.

[pr_boxer]

Oops! another Bush foul up, wonder if John McBush will stick with the village idiot on this?

[liberalme]

Why are we surprised? If it doesn''t ahve anything to do with banks or oil Bush ain''t buying it!

It''s just too bad the rest of us have to suffer for the voting stupidity of others.

[bobnjersey]

[Lawmakers are under pressure from doctors and the elderly patients they serve to void the rate cut, which kicked in on July 1. ]

yea ... the ama and the aarp are two of the biggest lobbying entities in washington. who said there''s no representation in dc?

[starleo146]

Lil'''' Brain Bush - Ok, I''''m going veto. Too bad if it screwws doctors and poor patients, as long as well do not hurt Exxon Mobile...

***** C. - George, I''''ve trained you well... ; )

Not sure what the 10 percent works out to in dollars, but it probably could be paid with 30 days of so if Iraq Defense spending. Why are we letting Lil'''' Bush throw our money away instead of spending right here in America?

Posted by boatdocster at 03:09 PM : Jul 15, 2008
+ report abuse

Ok I''ll bite why? because everyone lets him get away with it? You think? If we only could make a statement strong enough to make him sit up and take notice. If only !!!!!

[starleo146]

This jackal never misses a chance to skewer the little guy. The result of Bush''''s veto is basically to encourage doctors to not treat the poorest patients because of the weeks of wrangling it often takes to get paid - but Bush is most worried about his rich azz friends in the private healthcare industry- like they aren''''t already making out like bandits. He is the worst President ever, hands down.

Posted by talkingham at 02:40 PM : Jul 15, 20

Boy, couldn''t have said it better myself thank you talkinham.

[smurfcrusher]

This president is worse even than "ketchup is a vegetable" Reagan.

[smurfcrusher]

"Healthcare cost have jumped exponentially any time government becomes involved."

Posted by JonGood65

I could agree with this, but not the way you think. Since the Republicans PROHIBITED the federal government from negotiating lower care prescription drug prices for Medicaid, costs have indeed increased dramatically.

Why did they put that language in the bill? After all, the VA saves huge sums by using it''s purchasing power to negotiate much lower prices.

Answer that one...

[smurfcrusher]

I see. So if it''s something Bush wants, crank up the federal deficit.

If it''s something the people need, "sorry, no funding!" (pulls pockets inside out for effect)

Pathetic President.