Article Abstract:
Bills before the House and Senate would repeal limits placed on payments to new physicians. Proponents of the bills argue that new physicians cannot perform services at less cost than more experienced physicians. In addition, such limits discourage new physicians from treating Medicare patients. Medicare spending would increase by approximately $1.65 billion between 1992 and 1997 if the limits are repealed. To avoid new taxes or cuts in other programs, other types of physician pay cuts may be proposed.
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Article Abstract:
The Physician Payment Review Commission is strongly urging the government to increase Medicare's spending speed limit so that physicians can be reasonably compensated for treating elderly patients. By 2010, physicians will lose the gains made by a new resource-based relative value scale that was created in 1992. However, Republicans will be reluctant to increase Medicare spending because they are trying to decrease the federal deficit.
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Article Abstract:
The five-year federal budget plan, as it leaves the Senate, contains $58 billion in Medicare cuts, including an estimated $5 to $10 billion in physician payment curbs. The House of Representatives, however, voted for only $50 billion in cuts. Because the budget passed in both houses of Congress by a very small margin, extensive budget restorations would jeopardize any compromise budget proposal.
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