Chuck Hagel, the former Nebraskan senator writes “Congress and the administration are working on bipartisan practical solutions to improve our health care system.  I urge all members of Congress to put aside their narrow partisan differences and seize this moment for health care reform”.

Contrary to what this statement would have you believe, as indeed most Democrats would have you believe, this is not a bipartisan proposal.  There are no Republicans in favor of the proposals to date except for Maine’s senator Olympia Snowe who states that although she is considering the bill, she has not yet decided.

Members of the Senate finance committee state that the bill entices patients to use generic drugs by waiving the initial co-payment for those wishing to try them.  Not being new, this is reminiscent of the law passed more than 5 years ago where physicians had to sign dispensed as written for medication and if that was missing, the pharmacists were obligated to give patients the cheaper generic drug.

The most disturbing is the following:

The U.S. House of Representatives plans to take up a bill, the “Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act of 2009” (H.R. 3961), to stop the 21 percent Medicare physician payment cut that is coming on Jan. 1, 2010. 

The Medicare cuts for doctors that will take effect in less than two months are a major problem for you and your family because they will prevent many doctors from accepting new Medicare patients, discourage some from investing in new health technology, and make many think about closing their medical practices altogether!

Now is a time to take action and call your Congressmen.  They must say NO to the proposals.