Barbara Hollingsworth

Medical care options may be reduced after lawmakers packed up and left Washington, D.C., this week without stopping a 10.6 percent decrease in Medicare reimbursements made to physicians.

Primary care physicians with the Cotton-O'Neil Clinic will stop accepting new Medicare patients on Tuesday as a result of the cuts that go into effect that day.

"We urge citizens to communicate with your elected officials and ask for their support to repeal cuts to their Medicare benefits," said Kent Palmberg, chief medical officer for Stormont-Vail HealthCare, of which Cotton-O'Neil is a division.

Legislation was needed to block cuts that otherwise occur automatically under a formula. Congress has blocked similar cuts in the past.

Jerry Slaughter, executive director of the Kansas Medical Society, said he was hopeful lawmakers could make a fix when they resume meeting July 7, following a break for the Fourth of July. Even with hopes of a change, he said the inaction this week created problems.

"At this point it will be disruptive," Slaughter said. "There's just no way to avoid that."

Nearly every member of the Kansas Congressional delegation lined up behind the Medicare legislation this week. It breezed through the House on a 355-59 vote, with the support of all four members from Kansas.

But in the Senate, the legislation fell just short of mustering the 60 votes needed to pass the measure under expedited rules. Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kansas, fell out of line with other members of the state's delegation, voting against shutting down debate so senators could vote on the measure. Phone calls and an e-mail sent to Brownback's office on Friday weren't returned.

President Bush has threatened to veto the legislation, which would cut spending on private Medicare Advantage plans — plans that studies have found to cost more than the traditional Medicare program.

Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kansas, supported the legislation.

"I urge my colleagues to put politics aside to pass this bill for seniors and our health care providers," Roberts said in a statement released by his office. "I hope the Congress and the administration can work together to adopt these reforms as soon as possible."

Rep. Nancy Boyda, D-Kansas, said she was shocked when she received word that the Medicare cuts weren't stopped.

"I think this is where I'm hoping there is nothing short of outrage on this," Boyda said. "Public policy follows public opinion."

In addition to eliminating the planned reduction, Boyda said the legislation would have addressed problems that are driving small pharmacies out of business and leaving some rural counties with no pharmacies. The legislation would have continued to make bonus payments to physicians working in rural areas, kept caps off of physical therapy and increased Medicare payments to doctors by 1.1 percent in January.

Boyda said she worries about seniors losing out on medical care options.

"They don't need one more thing to worry about," she said.

In the meantime, Cotton-O'Neil physicians will stop accepting new Medicare patients. Any of the 42,000 current Medicare recipients who already have a Cotton-O'Neil primary care physician and current patients who become Medicare eligible will continue to be served. Unaffected are patients seeing Cotton-O'Neil specialists, such as cardiologists.

"As costs increase and reimbursement decreases, the provision of care to an increasing Medicare population becomes more difficult," said Nancy Burkhardt spokesperson for Stormont-Vail HealthCare.

Fred Lucky, senior vice president of the Kansas Hospital Association, said he believes the 10.6 percent cut won't stand. He said he had received assurances from the offices of both Roberts and Brownback.

"While we were disappointed last night the Senate didn't act on it we are confident the Senate will act on it," he said.

Barbara Hollingsworth can be reached at (785) 295-1285 or barbara.hollingsworth@cjonline.com.

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