Thursday, November 19, 2009

The House has voted to add more than $200 billion to the deficit in order to spare doctors from a big reduction in Medicare payments.

The measure passed Thursday on a near party-line vote of 243 to 183. Republicans called it a political payoff to the American Medical Association for endorsing House Democrats' larger health overhaul bill, something Democrats denied.

Without action by Congress, doctors will face a 21% reduction in Medicare payment rates in January because of a flawed reimbursement formula.

The AMA wants a permanent fix and has lobbied heavily for that, but it failed in the Senate last month in an embarrassing defeat for Democrats and the doctors group.