Government Healthcare Policy, Business and Technology

Doc lawmakers reject fiscal-cliff bill—but a few cross party lines

Modern Physician (complimentary online subscription): Physicians in Congress voted overwhelmingly against the fiscal cliff legislative package that contains a one-year suspension of a scheduled 26.5% Medicare pay cut for doctors.

In the House, physicians rejected the bill—the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012—by a 12-3 margin. The three physician lawmakers who voted for the bill crossed party lines in doing so: GOP Reps. Dan Benishek (Mich.), Nan Hayworth (N.Y.) and Joe Heck (Nev.) voted for the bill. The lone Democratic doctor in Congress, Rep. James McDermott of Washington, voted against it. (Hayworth was the only physician in Congress not re-elected last fall.)

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