PAN Urges Congress to Override President’s Medicare Veto
Critical care for people with PD at stake

WASHINGTON—The Parkinson's Action Network (PAN) is urging Members of Congress who voted in favor of H.R. 6331, the Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act, to maintain their support and override President Bush’s veto. The bill is critical to the PD community because, unless this bill becomes law, many people with PD may not be able to afford critical physical therapy treatments.

On Thursday, the White House announced that the bill, which passed the House last month by a vote of 355-59 and passed 69-30 in the Senate Wednesday, will be vetoed by President Bush. Once the President officially vetoes the bill, it will be sent back to Congress where a 2/3 vote is required to override the veto. The margin by which the bill passed both chambers of Congress is sufficient to override the veto, but there is always the risk that some Members could switch their vote, putting passage of this bill in jeopardy.

• PAN worked to include several key provisions in the bill that are critical to the PD community, including:
• Granting an 18 month extension of the physical therapy caps exceptions process until December 31, 2009;
• Delaying the Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) competitive bidding program;
• Stopping a 10.6 percent cut to Medicare’s physician payment rates, and;
• Extending and improving low-income assistance programs for Medicare beneficiaries living below or near the poverty level ($867 per month for an individual.)

“Congress did the right thing by overwhelmingly passing this bill that will ensure people with PD continue to get the critical treatments they need,” said PAN CEO, Amy Comstock Rick. “President Bush’s unfortunate decision to veto this bill will give Congress one more opportunity to show they understand just how important these treatments are to their constituents with PD and many others who rely on Medicare. The PD community knows that many Members of Congress will be pressured into changing their vote to uphold the President’s veto, but we urge them to stand strong and fight on behalf of every American who is depending on Medicare to help cover the cost of these necessary therapies.”