More than a decade ago, Congress set up a formula that governs how doctors get paid by the Medicare program.? The intent was to slow the growth of Medicare costs, but the result was a formula that has proposed cutting payments for America's doctors year after year after year.? These are cuts that would not only jeopardize our physicians' pay, but our seniors' health care.

十多年前，國會設立了一套方案來管理醫(yī)生如何獲取醫(yī)保計劃的補償。其本意是想放緩醫(yī)保支出的增長速度，但結(jié)果卻使其成為一年一年又一年地降低醫(yī)生薪資的方案。這項薪資的削減不僅危及到醫(yī)生的收入，也危及到了老人們的身體健康保健。

Since 2003, Congress has acted to prevent these pay cuts from going into effect.? These votes were largely bipartisan, and they succeeded when Democrats ran Congress and when Republicans ran Congress – which was most of the time.

自2003年來，國會一直在采取措施以避免這項薪資削減方案付諸實施。這些投票表決大多是兩黨聯(lián)合進行的，大多時候，當民主黨或共和黨主導國會時這都取得了成功。

This year, a majority of Congress is willing to prevent a pay cut of 21% -- a pay cut that would undoubtedly force some doctors to stop seeing Medicare patients altogether.? But this time, some Senate Republicans may even block a vote on this issue.? After years of voting to defer these cuts, the other party is now willing to walk away from the needs of our doctors and our seniors.

今年，大多數(shù)國會議員都希望能阻延這項21%的薪資削減計劃——這項削減將毫無疑問的迫使部分醫(yī)生完全放棄為醫(yī)保病人提供醫(yī)療服務。但這一次，部分共和黨參議員可能會阻擾對這項議題的投票。在連續(xù)多年的投票推遲這些薪資削減計劃后，另一黨派（即共和黨）正準備撂挑子置我們的醫(yī)生和老人們的需求于不顧。

Now, I realize that simply kicking these cuts down the road another year is not a long-term solution to this problem.? For years, I have said that a system where doctors are left to wonder if they'll get fairly reimbursed makes absolutely no sense.? And I am committed to permanently reforming this Medicare formula in a way that balances fiscal responsibility with the responsibility we have to doctors and seniors.? In addition, we're already taking significant steps to slow the growth of Medicare costs through health insurance reform – not by targeting doctors and seniors, but by eliminating 50% of the waste, fraud, and abuse in the system by 2012.? This not only strengthens Medicare, it saves taxpayer dollars.

現(xiàn)在，我意識到一年一年的簡單地推遲這些削減計劃不是解決問題的長遠之計。幾年來，我一直在說一個醫(yī)生們一直考慮其能否獲得適當補償?shù)南到y(tǒng)是毫無意義的。我也承諾要徹底改革這項醫(yī)保方案，在我們的財政負擔與為醫(yī)生和老人們負責的責任心之間尋求平衡。另外，我們也已經(jīng)采取有效措施——醫(yī)療保險改革來減緩醫(yī)保支出的增長，改革并不是針對醫(yī)生和老人的，而是要在2012年之前消除醫(yī)保系統(tǒng)中50%的浪費，欺詐和濫用。這不僅能鞏固醫(yī)保，也能節(jié)約納稅人的資金。

I'm absolutely willing to take the difficult steps necessary to lower the cost of Medicare and put our budget on a more fiscally sustainable path.? But I'm not willing to do that by punishing hard-working physicians or the millions of Americans who count on Medicare.? That's just wrong.? And that's why in the short-term, Congress must act to prevent this pay cut to doctors.

我當然希望通過采取必要的、甚至困難的措施來降低醫(yī)保支出，將我們的預算控制在財政承受得起的范圍之內(nèi)。但我并不希望通過懲罰辛勞的醫(yī)生或是無數(shù)依賴醫(yī)保的人們來實現(xiàn)這一目標。這一定是錯誤的。這也是為什么短時期內(nèi)，國會必須阻止這項針對醫(yī)生的薪資削減計劃的原因。

If they don't act, doctors will see a 21% cut in their Medicare payments this week.? This week, doctors will start receiving these lower reimbursements from the Medicare program.? That could lead them to stop participating in the Medicare program.? And that could lead seniors to lose their doctors.

如果他們不行動，本周醫(yī)生們的醫(yī)保補償收入將削減21%。本周，醫(yī)生們從醫(yī)保計劃中獲得的補償將降低。這將有可能導致他們放棄參與醫(yī)保計劃。最終將導致老人們失去他們的醫(yī)生。

We cannot allow this to happen.? We have to fix this problem so that our doctors can get paid for the life-saving services they provide and keep their doors open.? We have to fix this problem to keep the promise of Medicare for our seniors so that they get the health care they deserve.? So I urge Republicans in the Senate to at least allow a majority of Senators and Congressmen to stop this pay cut.? I urge them to stand with America's seniors and America's doctors.

我們決不能允許此事發(fā)生。我們必須解決這個問題，只有這樣我們的醫(yī)生才能獲得他們救死扶傷應得的收入，他們才能敞開大門為人們服務。我們必須解決這個問題來踐行醫(yī)保為我們的老人們提供他們應得的醫(yī)療保健的承諾。因此，我強烈要求共和黨參議員們至少應給參議員和眾議員們延阻這項削減計劃一個投票的機會。我強烈要求他們與我們的老人和醫(yī)生們站在一起。

Thanks.

謝謝！


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