Today, McCain's absince destroys Medicare

There is more than just FISA happening today... Unfortunate for Millions of Americans, John McCain's schedule today is full, and as a result, he'll likely destroy Medicare by playing hooky.  Some have already blamed Bush for this problem, but the blame will now lie with McCain.  This is a hard hitting campaign ad in the making... much more relevant and powerful than FISA.

With Democrats planning to bring the bill back up for a critical test vote Wednesday, they are now prepared to pinpoint McCain if they cannot advance a measure that doctors’ groups say is needed to ensure access is not cut to Medicare for the elderly and military veterans.

More on the legislation below.

"There’s nothing to stop [the cut] unless the Republican senators give us one more vote, and we’d like to know where John McCain is on the issue," said Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin, a national co-chairman of fellow Illinois Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign.

The stalemate has prompted doctors’ groups to launch blistering attacks against Republicans who supported the filibuster. The bill would prevent a 10.6 percent cut in payment rates for doctors who operate under Medicare, and would be paid for by cuts to private plans known as Medicare Advantage, a central point of contention.

Last time I checked, McCain was still a Senator and Medicare was not a fucking earmark...  this is detestable.  The Senate needs only one vote to succeed on Cloture and the Rand-n-File republicans are not budging.

If none of those GOP senators flip, McCain could find himself in a tough spot. If he votes for the measure, he would please physicians’ groups but anger insurance companies, many of his Senate Republican colleagues and the White House, which has threatened a veto. But if he skips the vote or opposes the bill, he would open himself up to attacks of supporting a cut in doctors’ payments and stiff-arming elderly and military veterans’ access to Medicare.

Background on this important legislation

 An AMA survey revealed that 60 percent of physicians reported that they would have to limit the number of new Medicare patients they treat if payments are cut 10 percent in 2008. More than half of physicians report that they cannot meet their payroll and will have to reduce their practice staff.

The Medicare physician payment update formula is producing disastrous effects. In addition to generating the pending steep pay cuts, the formula:

Has kept average 2008 Medicare physician payment rates about the same as they were in 2001

Prevents physicians from making needed investments in staff and health information technology to support quality measurement

Punishes physicians for participating in initiatives that encourage greater use of preventive care in order to reduce hospitalizations

Has led to a severe shortfalls in Medicare’s budget for physician services that have driven Congress to enact short-term interventions with funding methods that have increased the duration of cuts, as well as the cost of a long-term solution

Hurts access to care for America’s military families, as payment rates in the Department of Defense’s TRICARE program are tied to Medicare rates

These cuts, if not corrected, will severely limit the ability of Doctors to treat Medicare patients effectively damaging the program and setting it on the path of destruction.