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From the desk of Senator John Kennedy:
Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) shared yesterday that he attempted to pass his Protecting Medicare Patients and Physicians Act through the Senate by unanimous consent. According to the release, the bill would protect patients and healthcare providers from a total of 8.5 percent in planned Medicare cuts to physician reimbursements, but the “Democrats immediately blocked the bill.”
“Louisianians are already struggling under Pres. Biden’s failed economic policies. Prices have skyrocketed more than 13 percent since this president took office, and Medicare cuts would put more people at risk. I offered a plan to protect the people who rely on Medicare and the doctors who take care of them—without taking another dime from taxpayers. It’s unbelievable that Democrats killed this commonsense, responsible solution,” Kennedy said.
The release stated that Kennedy’s bill would help more doctors keep their doors open to Medicare patients, giving patients more options for accessing quality care. The bill would put unused Covid money from the Provider Relief Fund that has been returned to the Department of Health and Human Services to use, so Kennedy’s bill would require no new federal spending. The American Rescue Plan originally allocated money to the Provider Relief Fund to help hospitals struggling as a result of the pandemic. Using those leftover funds to help patients and doctors who are suffering under the Biden administration’s historic levels of inflation represents a fiscally responsible solution to help vulnerable Americans.
