|
Lobbying groups representing physicians have been taking a noticeably partisan tack in their fight to protect their Medicare fees, siding with Democrats and risking a backlash from Republicans in the process.
Trade groups tend to be wary of favoring one party, since politicians have long memories and today’s minority could be tomorrow’s majority.
But sometimes interest groups find themselves in a position where they have to risk future comeuppance for present gain.
“It’s a calculated risk that’s made,” said a lobbyist who has worked to pass the Medicare bill. “It certainly can come full circle and bite you on the butt in the end,” the lobbyist said. “We’ll see what happens in future years.”
The immediate interests of the American Medical Association (AMA) and allied groups clearly lie with the Democrats, who control Congress and have been pushing legislation to undo a 10.6 percent cut in Medicare payments to doctors that kicked in on July 1.
Senate Republicans have stood in their way. Though the House passed a Democratic bill to prevent the cuts by a whopping 355-59 vote, a cloture vote in the Senate failed by a single vote, with most Republicans voting against cloture.
That drew public condemnation from the AMA, backed up by a television and radio advertising campaign over the Independence Day recess. The broadcast spots called out individual Republican senators by name, including Sens. John Sununu (N.H.), Roger Wicker (Miss.) and Arlen Specter (Pa.), who all voted against cloture.
“There are no permanent enemies, no permanent allies,” said Christian Shalgian, the interim director of the American College of Surgeons.
Republicans who have borne the brunt of the physician lobby’s criticisms, however, might not see it that way.
Specter was not pleased with the ads. “I’m a little surprised when there are issues that are very important to the AMA, the shoe may be on the other foot. ... I’ve been a very good friend of America’s doctors, so a little surprised to see one vote in this context the subject of media advertising,” he told The Hill.
Until the Senate Republican leadership held the line against the Democratic Medicare bill, physician groups by and large steered clear of pointing their fingers at the GOP, even though the partisan divide over the bill had always been clear.
|
