House passes Medicare 'doc fix,' 243-183

The House overwhelmingly approved a physician repayment bill to permanently fix the way doctors who cover Medicare patients are reimbursed.

Only one Republican member voted with Democrats for the bill that was approved 243-183.

Dr. Michael Burgess (R-Texas) endured intense lobbying efforts by his GOP colleagues to oppose the nearly quarter of a trillion dollar bill that Democrats do not offset.

Eleven Democrats joined 176 Republicans in opposing the bill that would fix what both parties described as a “flawed formula” for reimbursing doctors of Medicare patients.

Despite a vow to offset any new spending, the Democratic measure would cost $210 billion over 10 years but does not include a "pay-for" in the bill.

Republicans seized on that issue at a time when President Barack Obama said in China that there should not be any more deficit spending.

“It exacerbates the problem of the fiscal recklessness the majority party. As a physician I know, with every fiber of my being, that the doctors of this land are sick and tired of being played for fools,” Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) said on the floor, explaining that the Democratic bill would not sustain the rate of spending to make the payments.

---