Senate Resolution 47 - Introduced
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S.R. ________ H.R. ________
1 1 SENATE RESOLUTION NO.
1 2 BY RAGAN
1 3 A Resolution encouraging the Iowa congressional
1 4 delegation to support legislation to improve
1 5 Medicare payments to Iowa physicians under the
1 6 Medicare Part B program.
1 7 WHEREAS, Iowa's physicians are reimbursed by the
1 8 federal Medicare program significantly less than
1 9 physicians in most of the rest of the United States;
1 10 and
1 11 WHEREAS, Iowa's quality of health care, as measured
1 12 by the federal government, is among the best, rated
1 13 sixth in the United States; and
1 14 WHEREAS, Iowa ranks among the lowest, ranked 44th
1 15 in the nation, in the number of physicians per capita;
1 16 and
1 17 WHEREAS, Iowa's population ranks seventh in the
1 18 nation in the percent of our state's population
1 19 covered by the federal Medicare program; and
1 20 WHEREAS, there are clear federal remedies that
1 21 would significantly narrow or even eliminate the
1 22 reimbursement disparity, which impedes Iowa's ability
1 23 to recruit physicians to practice in the state; and
1 24 WHEREAS, Iowa physicians are facing a projected 10
1 25 percent reduction in reimbursement in 2008 if Congress
1 26 does not take action to prevent the cut; NOW
1 27 THEREFORE,
1 28 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, That Iowa's five
1 29 United States Congressmen and two United States
1 30 Senators are requested to place a high priority on
2 1 enacting a remedy to the disparity in physician
2 2 reimbursement in the federal Medicare Part B program,
2 3 and
2 4 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That Iowa's five United
2 5 States Congressmen and two United States Senators are
2 6 requested to place a high priority on enacting federal
2 7 legislation that would eliminate the 10 percent
2 8 reduction to physician payments in 2008.
2 9 LSB 2935SS 82
2 10 jr:rj/je/5