Today, the president is expected to veto the current law (passed by the Senate last week) which prohibits a projected 10.6% cut in Medicare reimbursements to physicians. This much is certain. A congressional override appears to be certain, also. What seems to be clear is that the fight between sides in this important issue will continue. What is less apparent, however, is what passage of the bill would ultimately mean for healthcare costs to the taxpayer over the next five to ten years.

Unsurprisingly, the Democrats are accused of being shortsighted by the Repubs — that grabbing the “low hanging fruit” of stabilized reimbursement doesn’t compensate for projected increases in overall Medicare covered healthcare costs yet to come. Of course, the Democrats are hurling barbs at the Republicans who criticize the bill’s “loophole” provision allowing for the influence of lobbyists on currently restricted formularies under Medicare Part D. Confused yet? | LINK

UPDATE: Both houses of Congress wasted no time in promptly overriding President Bush’s veto. | LINK

With organized medicine promoting the popular measure in an election year, Republicans broke heavily from the White House. A total of 153 House Republicans voted to defy the White House, an additional 24 Republicans from a June 24 vote that started the momentum toward passage of the Medicare doctors’ bill Tuesday. Twenty-one Senate Republicans voted for the bill this time, including four senators who had voted “nay” in the two previous Medicare votes.