Reporting from Washington —
The Senate agreed Thursday to postpone for a month a giant cut in Medicare payments to doctors that had been scheduled to take effect Dec. 1.
The bipartisan deal is expected to clear the House, sparing physicians a 23% fee cut — at least for now. Doctors who care for the elderly under the federal program will be paid at current rates until Dec. 31.
But the compromise falls short of the 13-month solution sought by physicians groups and advocates for seniors. Unless Congress passes further legislation next month, doctors will face another massive cut Jan. 1.
' target=_blank>The Rand Paul Spitzer Debate
Elliott Spitzer pressed Senator-elect Paul about how he would propose to cut the 1.6 trillion dollar deficit. Paul responded that it would take an across the board adjustment. When pressed further about cuts to doctor’s fees and health care in general he responded that doctors should not take a 30% cut alone unless it applied to all federal employees as well. ie, defense, congress, and all federal agencies. Spitzer pressed further asking Dr. (Senator) Paul what his income was last year, Paul responded that was a personal matter, inappropriate, and that he was not about to discuss Spitzer’s previous personal business either. Paul also noted that his Medicare fees were reduced by 50% already from 1993 until the present time.
Spitzer commented that Paul was ‘filibustering”.
My comments are: “The Apple does not fall far from the tree” Seems like Ron Paul taught his son well.