Congress Overrides President’s Veto to Pass Medicare Legislation; Physician Advocacy Efforts Successful!

July 16, 2008 – ASH is pleased to report that both the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate voted to override President Bush's veto of H.R. 6331, the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008. The final vote in the Senate was 70-26, a much narrower margin than in the House of Representatives, where the vote was 383-41. Each chamber succeeded in obtaining more than the required two-thirds majority to pass the law over the President's objections. This was a bipartisan effort to preserve patient access to care, and H.R. 6331 will now become law.

The legislation specifies that the 0.5 percent payment update for the remainder of 2008 becomes effective July 1. Information from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on claims processing and payment adjustment issues will be posted on the ASH Web site as more details become available. The money for physician payment will be taken from the Medicare Advantage program, which subsidizes private insurers to cover beneficiaries who otherwise would be treated through the traditional Medicare fee-for-service program.

ASH thanks all Grassroots Network members and state societies whose participation in our advocacy campaign was key to this successful outcome. Your advocacy makes a difference!