Obama signs bill fixing Medicare doctors' pay

Reuters
U.S. President Barack Obama signs the bill H.R. 2 Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, the so-called Medicare 'doc fix,' in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington April 16, 2015. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama signed a bill into law on Thursday that repairs the formula for reimbursing Medicare physicians after Congress, in rare bipartisan fashion, passed a fix earlier this week to prevent a 21 percent cut in doctors' pay. Sitting outside in the White House Rose Garden in his shirt sleeves, Obama said he was signing the bill now rather than waiting for a formal ceremony so it could go into force right away. "This was a bipartisan effort," Obama said, adding he hoped the practice of Republicans and Democrats working together would become a habit on Capitol Hill. "Because we wanted to make sure doctors' payments didn't get cut off, I'm signing it now." The measure replaces a 1990s formula that linked Medicare doctor pay to economic growth, with a new formula more focused on quality of care. It also requires means-testing of Medicare beneficiaries so higher income people pay higher premiums. (Reporting by Jeff Mason. Editing by Andre Grenon)