Urge Support for Anesthesiology-Specific Amendment to H.R. 3200
Chicago —
(October 28, 2009)
Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX-30) has introduced an amendment to H.R. 3200, health reform legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives, that would de-link anesthesia payments from Medicare rates under a public plan.
Under the “Johnson Amendment,” payments for anesthesia services would be based on the average of the payment rates of commercial insurers and health plans participating in the “Exchange.” This would level the playing field and ensure fair anesthesiology payments.
Please call your Representative and ask him or her to support the Johnson amendment.
Democratic leadership is involved in closed-door negotiations to craft the final House health reform bill. In the process, they must merge three separate Committee versions of the bill, two of which include a public plan based upon Medicare payment rates. ASA has consistently lobbied for negotiated payment rates, as included in a third Committee version of H.R. 3200.
The content of H.R. 3200 changes hourly. However, press reports and information from ASA lobbyists indicate that the House is leaning heavily toward including a public plan tied to Medicare rates.Rep. Johnson is working with Speaker Pelosi's office in an effort to have her amendment language incorporated into whatever version of H.R. 3200 is ultimately brought to the floor of the House by the Democratic leadership. The precise mechanism by which the language would be incorporated has not yet been determined. Additionally, the specific date for full House consideration of H.R. 3200 has not yet been determined but could occur within the next 7-10 days.
Your Representative’s support of the Johnson Amendment is extremely important at this point in the process. The addition of co-sponsors will strengthen Rep. Johnson’s efforts. Please contact your Member of Congress (again, if necessary), and ask that he or she co-sponsor the Johnson Amendment.
Please use the following documents for additional information, and feel free to share these materials with Congressional offices.
Contact the ASA Washington office, (202) 289-2222, with any questions.
THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ANESTHESIOLOGISTS
Anesthesiologists: Physicians providing the lifeline of modern medicine. Founded in 1905, the American Society of Anesthesiologists is an educational, research and scientific association with 46,000 members organized to raise and maintain the standards of the medical practice of anesthesiology and improve the care of the patient.
For more information on the field of anesthesiology, visit the American Society of Anesthesiologists Web site at www.asahq.org. For patient information, visit LifeLineToModernMedicine.com
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