Dr. Broun: “I Can’t Give Pelosi’s ‘Doc Fix’ A Clean Bill of Health”
Washington,
Nov 19, 2009 -
U.S. Congressman Paul C. Broun, M.D. (GA-10) today released the following statement on Pelosi’s “doc fix” bill, H.R. 3961, which will drive up seniors’ premiums while increasing the national debt by more than $200 billion:
“As a physician, I can’t give Pelosi’s ‘doc fix’ a clean bill of health. This bill is not reform. In fact, it is more of a ‘doc trick.’ This legislation would add over a trillion dollars in unfunded mandates to a program that is already in a tailspin. Furthermore, the Democrats’ plan would require seniors to pay $49.5 billion in the form of higher premiums.
“The time has come for Congress to fully and finally address the issue of the Sustainable Growth Rate formula (SGR), upon which physician payments are based. I know that there are better alternatives available to us that would not increase our debt but still ensure that doctors receive more reasonable reimbursements from Medicare.
“There are Republican alternatives that would not require our federal government to take on any more debt, and they would help us begin moving Medicare away from being an anchor around our health care system and our economy. I pledge to continue working to fix the many problems with SGR.”
