The House voted Thursday to approve a physician repayment bill to permanently fix the way doctors who cover Medicare patients are reimbursed.
The Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act was passed by a 243-183 vote, with Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, the only Republican joining Democrats in passing the measure. Eleven Democrats joined the rest of the Republicans in voting against it.
The legislation, which will cost $210 billion over the next ten years, will create a new formula that would boost doctors' payments by 1.2 percent next year instead of the 21 percent reduction now scheduled to take effect.
After the legislation was passed, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said it will "permanently improve the way Medicare pays physicians and in doing so, guarantee that America's seniors will continue to have access to excellent care through Medicare."
She added, "Today's vote by the House keeps our promise to strengthen Medicare, never weaken it."
The White House voiced its approval of the bill's passage, with Press Secretary Robert Gibbs saying, "President Obama commends the House of Representatives for taking action to protect the care and physician choice that Medicare beneficiaries and TRICARE patients have earned."
"This legislation is an important step forward, and the administration will continue to work with Congress to achieve comprehensive reforms, ensure choice and high-quality care for beneficiaries, and restore fiscal discipline in our legislative process," Gibbs added.
House Republican Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, on the other hand, was less-than-happy with the bill, saying, "Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats have voted to add nearly $300 billion to the deficit just days after the national debt topped $12 trillion for the first time in U.S. history."
He added, "Democrats continue to add tens of billions of dollars to the deficit while promising to eventually end their unprecedented spending binge."
The legislation must still pass the Senate before it goes to President Obama to be signed into law.
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June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.