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June 26, 2008 at 09:34 PM
Supporters of a major Medicare program bill today failed to get the votes they needed in the Senate to push the bill to the Senate floor.
Backers of the bill, H.R. 6331, the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act, could round up only 58 votes in favor of limiting debate on the bill.
In the Senate, supporters of a bill need at least 60 votes to prevent the start of a filibuster, or endless round of debate designed to keep a bill from coming up for a vote.
Members of the House voted 355-59 pass H.R. 6331 Tuesday.
The bill would cut Medicare Advantage program funding by about $14 billion over 5 years and impose new restrictions on marketing of Medicare Advantage programs.
The bill would use the Medicare Advantage funding cuts to pay to ward off a 10.6% cut in Medicare physician reimbursement rates that is scheduled to take effect Tuesday.
Senate Finance Committee leaders recently failed to come up with their own Medicare funding bill.
