The AARP, which allied with the American Medical Association to push for the $247 billion bill to prevent scheduled cuts to doctor’s payments, also expressed disappointment at today’s failed cloture vote:
“On behalf of our 40 million members, AARP is deeply disappointed that legislation to preserve seniors’ access to their doctors was blocked in the U.S. Senate today, proving once again Washington lawmakers would rather play political games than protect the needs of seniors.
“The Senate’s failure to fix the flawed doctor payment system means that payment rates for doctors in Medicare could be cut by 21.5 percent in just a few months. Short-term patches to preserve physician pay make the access problem worse by undermining doctors’ confidence in the Medicare program.
“AARP supported this bill because it would have given Medicare patients the certainty they deserve in knowing that access to their doctors would be preserved. Despite today’s setback, AARP will keep fighting for a legislative solution that will protect seniors’ access to their doctors and ensure they can get the care they need to stay healthy.”