NTU urges all Representatives to vote “NO” on H.R. 3961, the so-called “Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act.” Introduced by Representative John Dingell (D-MI), this bill is part of an appalling display of bait-and-switch to reduce the apparent cost of health care reform.

H.R. 3962, the recently passed House health care “reform” bill, received a 10-year cost estimate from the Congressional Budget Office of $1.05 trillion. It achieved that number, nearly $200 billion lower than actual costs, in part by reducing physician reimbursements in Medicare. H.R. 3961 would immediately counteract the House-passed bill by reinstating higher reimbursement rates. By splitting these efforts into two separate pieces of legislation, leaders are attempting to deceive American taxpayers into believing that health care reform will be less expensive and deficit neutral – neither of which is true since H.R. 3961 contains no spending reductions elsewhere to offset its considerable cost.

This odious piece of deception should be rejected by any Representative who wants an honest debate about health reform moving forward.

Because it misleads taxpayers, NTU urges all Representatives to vote “NO” on H.R. 3961. Roll call votes on the legislation will be significantly weighted in our annual Rating of Congress.

If you have any questions, please contact NTU Federal Government Affairs Manager Jordan Forbes at (703) 683-5700