Congress Overrides Bush Medicare Veto

Bill Protects Doctors From Medicare Rate Cuts; 4th Time Bush Veto Is Overriden

(CBS/AP)  Congress on Tuesday rejected President Bush's veto of legislation protecting doctors from a 10.6 percent cut in their reimbursement rates when treating Medicare patients.

The override vote in the House was a lopsided 383-41, easily meeting the two-thirds threshold needed to nullify the president's veto. About an hour later, the Senate voted to override, 70-26.

It was the fourth Bush veto to be overridden by Congress, reports CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller. It was the 12th veto of the Bush presidency.

Lawmakers were 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.

The president said he supported rescinding the pay cut, but he objected to the way lawmakers would finance the plan, largely by reducing spending on private health plans serving the elderly and disabled.

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

About 600,000 doctors treat Medicare patients. Many said they would no longer accept new elderly patients if the cuts stood.

Democratic lawmakers used a variety of terms to describe Bush's veto earlier Tuesday. Some called it "meaningless." Others called it "mean-spirited."

"His days of doing us harm are very, very limited," said Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.

Instead of a cut, the legislation would keep Medicare rates for doctors where they are for the rest of 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 the changes Democrats sought would 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 would grow to 12 million rather than to 14.3 million.

Bush said the bill would reduce "access, benefits and choices for all beneficiaries."

"We don't have to punish the patients to help the doctors," said Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich.

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

"We wasted no time in reversing the president's carelessness and protecting our nation's doctors and the patients they treat," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. "This responsible and overdue Medicare fix is now law."

Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, said the federal government spends more on patients in Medicare Advantage than on comparable patients in traditional Medicare, leading to billions of dollars in additional costs annually.

"We take some of that unnecessary waste and we use it to pay physicians who are working hard and ought not to have a cut in their reimbursement rates," Doggett said.

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 Medicare recipients, 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 pharmacists, 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.

Military families also had a stake as its TRICARE program set reimbursement levels based on Medicare, and lawmakers raised concerns leading up to the vote that those families would have a hard time finding a doctor.

Dr. Nancy H. Nielsen, president of the American Medical Association, said a 10.6 percent cut "would have been devastating to seniors and the disabled who rely on Medicare for the health care they need, as well as to military families who rely on TRICARE for their health care."

Prior to Bush's veto, the House had voted in favor of the bill 355-59, so Tuesday's override vote showed more Republicans breaking with the administration.

The vote in the Senate in passing the bill last week was much closer, 69-30, leaving little margin for error for supporters trying to sustain a two-thirds majority to override.

[txgrouch2006]

MaBa7 wrote
The deficit disaster didn''''t start with Clinton, he actually managed to lower the deficit.
--------------------------
Who said anything about Clinton causing the deficit?

Sounds like you DID inhale...

[jlagat]

"The override vote in the House was a lopsided 383-41, easily meeting the two-thirds threshold needed to nullify the president''s veto. About an hour later, the Senate voted to override, 70-26. Bush recieved the news on a memo simply stating: ''Your a$$ got owned.''"

[maba7]

txgrouch2006-
The deficit disaster didn''t start with Clinton, he actually managed to lower the deficit.
The 2000 and 2004 elections of Bush created a major disaster in just about everything.
I was absolutely stunned when he was elected the second time after his incompetence was becoming apparent. The Baby-Boomers aren''t the problem, it''s the Bush administration and most of the Republicans.

[ov442]

The Biggest drain on our government is the Republican Party in general. They hand over SO much "Entitlement" money to Their Favored Industries in the form of Grants, Tax cuts, handouts, etc, that its literally the largest display of government corruption in history.
What do they get in return? they get the normal donations to their campaigns, help getting elected, and then after tenure, they get HUGE freebie jobs doing pretty much nothing but golfing for 7 and 8 figure salaries at the spinoffs and directly by Republican owned and operated ventures of all kinds.
Some of these businesses are made up solely for a place to payoff former Republican officials for their blatant Help while in office.
The Energy industry gets 17 billion and staves off investigations and morality and the GOP members get millions in freebies, vacations, homes, transport, jobs, benefits, stock, etc.
All for being a Puppet.

The fact that Bush continues his reign of dumbazsness, while almost all of congress rolled over him should tell the people this man is insane.

[txgrouch2006]

raflin1 wondered
where''''''''s the LIB pi$$ing and moaning about the deficit?
----------------
Sure, they''re AGAINST the deficit. But they''re also AGAINST benefit cuts. AND they''re STILL blasting Ronald Reagan.

That leaves ONLY ONE SOLUTION - that''s right, THEY PLAN TO TAX YOU TO ELIMINATE THE DEFICIT.

Either that, or they flunked math and they can''t add.

[txgrouch2006]

George W. Bush was born in 1946. In case you were wondering, so was Bill Clinton.

HERE''S MY SOLUTION.

Go to www.congress.org . Enter your ZIP+4 to get a list of YOUR elected representatives.

CLICK ON EACH NAME, and check the rep''s bio.

VOTE AGAINST anyone who was born 1946-1957.

CLEAN OUT THE BABY BOOMERS. SIXTEEN YEARS OF A BABY BOOMER GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN A DISASTER.

SIXTEEN YEARS IS ENOUGH!

[grumpas]

All you Republican Senior''s who always run to the polls and vote for this bunch of fascist''s take note! He asked you to do without Medicare coverage while he squanders it in Iraq and Afghanistan! But, you will note his war never takes a hit in the pocket book just the people of this country! Wake up America! Do you want 4 more years of this insanity????????

[mbcsmith]

Even members of Bush''''s own party voted overwhelmingly to override his veto. Yet again, we see an example of how out of touch Bush is with reality. Thank GOD the man will be evicted in 188 days from today......


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Posted by raflin1 at 08:58 AM : Jul 16, 2008


where''s the LIB pi$$ing and moaning about the deficit? Medicare is the largest drain on our government, worse than social security.

[drinuk]

The control of our health has gone far beyond politics, albeit that ALL politicians have allowed Big Pharma to run the show. They have been allowed to corrupt every vestage of the system, from the FDA to the local doctor, they have whacked up costs, they have hidden cures in favour of long term dependency and they have experimented with our lives and those of our children. They have created the most profitable industry known to man - Cancer ! Whilst the people we employ to protect us have stood idly by and let them get away with it. Yes, you can blame Bush but they are all to blame with the exception of the man who told it like it is and who was ignored by the media and all you so clever well informed Americans. His name is Ron Paul, a doctor and politician, one of the very few honest men who told it has it really is.

[tootall10142]

There are so many in need that soon after the halt of health care payments the poor the common wealth will rebel in wave of mass intrusion on the american body that no one with a bottle of pennicillin will be safe.

[martin9p2]

Bush has done more harm to Americans than any other president, and in the relatively short time that he still has in office, he remains the most dangerous president we''ve ever had. If you want to get me started, I''ll give examples, but you don''t even need that.

[pr_boxer]

Bush''s out of touch once more! He''ll never wake up, I hope our nation can survive the damage this evil and stupid man has done!

[mcvet]

Watching Bush haters rant, and use their hatred too trump logic is really entertaining. Bush caused slavery! Bush caused the Great Depression!
Bush is no angel, but to be so obsessed to throw logic and reason to the wind is just as depraved!
If the left wants value and credibility they need to argue intelligently instead of just shouting %u201DBush Sucks.%u201D

Posted by dkhorse1 at 12:54 AM : Jul 16, 2008

Now lets see here, we have a leader who refuses to follow the Will of the People and stop a useless war started by LYING to those same people. A person who took a Balanced Budget and Surplus and turned THAT into Record Deficits. Someone who will throw money away to needless and useless contractors in his War but deny medical benefits to American Children. A leader who put in charge of critical post in his administration people who were without a doubt the most INCOMPETENT to ever serve. A Man who turned our Justice Department into a wing of his party??? Should I go on? The question isn''t why so many American''s hate this pathetic piece of human trash you still call a President.. the question is why, if you are TRULY an American, you do NOT! SIEG HEIL BUSH

[mcvet]

Way to go, Liberal Congress. Spending money you don''''t have, to fund overpriced doctors within the framework of an antiquated and failed socialized medical system. What a joke socialized medicine is in this country. Now let me see, where might they possibly get all the money they''''re going to need for this spending they just legislated? Dig deep, America. Your doctors need another Mercedes payment in front of their Myrtle Beach condo while you take the bus back and forth to their clinic.

Posted by maxify55 at 05:24 AM : Jul 16, 2008

What are you? Someone who''s been asleep for 30 years?? ROFLMAO Typical Fascist... don''t have a solution? Attack the messenger! SIEG HEIL BUSH

[dinkydog1]

If the left wants value and credibility they need to argue intelligently instead of just shouting %u201DBush Sucks.%u201D



Posted by dkhorse1 at 12:54 AM : Jul 16, 2008

.........................

A Bush supporter giving advice on value, credibility and intelegence has to be the worst oxymoron immaginable. Go back to your cave.

[bron-yr-aur]

Money well spent. At least its not going to Iraq or a failed bank.

dkhorse1 wrote:

"If the left wants value and credibility they need to argue intelligently instead of just shouting %u201DBush Sucks.%u201D"

Agreed. Perhaps you and the rest of the Bush lovers could take your own advice?

[ramos937]

O''Neal said , "All politics are local". Meaning? This means that all GOP office holders are now looking out for themselves, especially if they want reelection. Upholding a veto is no longer automatic.

[rudy654-2009]

Posted by dkhorse1 at 12:54 AM

Oh shut up! Look in the mirror when you hand out ******* advice.

[dkhorse1]

Watching Bush haters rant, and use their hatred too trump logic is really entertaining. Bush caused slavery! Bush caused the Great Depression!
Bush is no angel, but to be so obsessed to throw logic and reason to the wind is just as depraved!
If the left wants value and credibility they need to argue intelligently instead of just shouting %u201DBush Sucks.%u201D