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Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-La.)
Specialty: Internal medicine
Active license: Yes
Age: 55
Elected: 2008
Medical degree: M.D., Louisiana State University, 1983
Sponsored legislation: HR 3315 (directs HHS to pilot monthly Medicare payments for primary-care medical homes); HR 6162 (allows health savings accounts with plans that have deductibles for prenatal, labor and delivery care)
Key healthcare votes:
Yea: Repeal of ACA, HR 2 (2011), HR 6079 (2012); repeal prevention and public health fund, HR 1217 (2011)
Nay: ACA, HR 3590 (2010); CHIP expansion, HR 2 (2009)
No vote: Repeal funding for health insurance exchanges, HR 1213 (2011)
(Answers provided in an interview)
How does being a physician affect your approach to Congress?
“I have that real-life experience how what we legislate will be implemented. Congress will just cut provider rates. What studies show is that if you decrease someone’s reimbursements marginally, they will increase volume or intensity of services.”
What happens now with the ACA?
“The efforts (in the ACA) to address the dual-eligible population is long overdue. I think the dual-eligible demos will ideally show us how to provide care for those who are poorly served and cost a heck of a lot of money.”
What’s a healthcare priority the ACA didn’t address?
“My office is currently working on the drug shortage issues, which the MMA (Medicare Modernization Act) has made worse. Price controls have distorted the market. Second thing: SGR. ACA totally ignored it, didn’t want to take on its contribution to the deficit.” |
