Medicare reimbursement

For Immediate Release

July 15, 2008

Contact: Matthew Miller, 202-485-3123

Hannah August, 202-485-3129

SUNUNU AND BUSH: PUTTING INSURANCE COMPANIES AHEAD OF SENIORS TO THE BITTER END

As Senate rebuffs Bush veto, GOP Senator continues to stand by Medicare cuts

Today, as both the United States House and Senate voted by large bi-partisan margins to override George Bush’s veto of a bill preventing steep cuts to Medicare, Republican Senator John Sununu stood by the president and the insurance companies and voted to sustain the veto. The bill Bush vetoed and Sununu voted against will prevent steep cuts in Medicare and will improve mental health access for both veterans and seniors and strengthen Medicare programs for rural seniors. It is paid for by ending costly overpayments to private insurance companies and HMOs participating in Medicare.  Without passage of the legislation, millions of seniors would have been unable to easily access care as many doctors were expected to stop seeing Medicare patients. 

For Immediate Release

July 15, 2008

Contact:        Mark Bergman

                202-225-5206

Congressman Paul Hodes Votes to Override President Bush’s Veto of the Medicare Reimbursement Legislation

Washington, DC--- Congressman Paul Hodes today issued the following statement regarding his vote to override President Bush’s veto on Medicare Reimbursement legislation that will prevent a ten percent Medicare reimbursement cut for doctors and medical professionals across the country.  The measure passed on a vote of 383-41.

For Immediate Release
July 15, 2008

Sununu's $650,000 in campaign cash from the insurance industry has bought two votes so far -- it may yet buy a third

(Manchester, NH) - Today, President Bush vetoed the bipartisan proposal to fix Medicare reimbursement rates and endangered access to health care for over 200,000 New Hampshire seniors and disabled individuals. John Sununu has voted twice against the proposal because he believed it was more important to protect insurance industry profits than access to health care for New Hampshire seniors, but today's veto means Sununu now has an opportunity to reverse his position and stand up for his constituents instead of the insurance industry.

 Editors note: This is a daily summary of news about the U.S. Senate race between U.S. Sen. John Sununu (R-Waterville Valley) and former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen (D-Madbury).

Today in the U.S. Senate race Shaheen was formally endorsed by the fire fighters of New Hampshire, the New Hampshire Democrats slammed Sununu on his Medicare reimbursement vote and the CEO of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care defends Sununu's stance.

NEW HAMPSHIRE HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION

STATEMENT ON MEDICARE "PHYSICIAN FIX" BILL

July 8, 2009

The New Hampshire Hospital Association (NHHA) is aware of the attention being given to the so-called "physicians' fix" legislation currently before the Congress.  We are confident that the Congress will ultimately arrive at a fair resolution of the issue and that physicians will not suffer from the delay.

For Immediate Release

June 27, 2008

Contact: Matthew Miller, 202-485-3123

Hannah August, 202-485-3129

SUNUNU CASTS DECIDING VOTE TO JEOPARDIZE SENIORS’ ACCESS TO DOCTORS

Single vote would have prevented Medicare cuts to hospitals, doctors

New Hampshire Republican Senator John Sununu last night cast the deciding vote against legislation to prevent steep cuts in Medicare reimbursement rates to physicians slated to take effect next week.  Without the vital fix, millions of senior will be unable to easily access care as many doctors are expected to stop seeing Medicare patients. The bill Sununu blocked would have been paid for by ending costly overpayments to private insurance companies and HMOs participating in Medicare, while improving both mental health access for veterans and Medicare programs for rural seniors. At least 162 organizations representing seniors, patients, physicians, and other health care companies endorsed the bill that passed the House Tuesday with an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 355-59, and last night was killed in the Senate by Sununu’s single vote.