Senator Cochran spoke on the U.S. Senate floor yesterday urging fellow colleagues to approve legislation that offers a fix for physician Medicare payment.   Click here to visit the Senate Republican Conference’s Web site which displays a video of Cochran’s remarks on the Senate floor.

Regarding the recent vote on Medicare cuts:

Senator Cochran strongly supports preventing the cuts in Medicare reimbursement to physicians. He understands the challenges facing the Mississippi medical community and the patients under their care. It was very unfortunate and disappointing that the only opportunity presented before the Senate to prevent cuts in reimbursement was included in an overall bill that Senator Cochran could not support.

HR 6331 included an expansion to Medicare that was projected to cost $25 billion over the next five years. Such increases to an already troubled Medicare system are simply not sustainable. The bill also included cuts to Medicare Advantage plans, which provoked a Presidential veto threat. A veto would have unnecessarily prolonged the compromise process through which Senator Cochran believes a better, bipartisan solution can be reached and signed into law.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has announced that they will not process any Medicare claims reflecting the 10.6% reduction in reimbursement until July 15, 2008.  Senator Cochran is committed to passing legislation, before July 15th, to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries receive the care they need and providers are fairly compensated for treating them.

Click here to read the Clarion Ledger article on the issue.