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Rep. Paul Tonko (NY-21) voted today to preserve seniors' access to their doctors by fixing the way Medicare pays physicians. The Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act will permanently reform the Medicare payment system, repealing a 21% cut in payments to doctors scheduled to take place in January and replacing it with a stable system that protects seniors, preserves their relationship with their doctors and promotes primary care."By fixing this system in a responsible way we are ensuring that our seniors have reliable access to their doctors and the primary care they need," said Rep. Tonko. "Medicare is a lifeline for America's seniors and this bill takes crucial steps toward strengthening it and providing the highest quality of care and benefits for our elderly. It's a critical companion bill to the health insurance reform bill."This bill tackles seniors' main concern – preventing pay cuts that could encourage doctors to stop seeing Medicare patients. It builds on the historic health insurance reform bill the House passed earlier this month, which will lower premiums, extend the solvency of Medicare, improve preventive and primary care for seniors, and close the "donut hole" drug coverage gap."This bill will lower costs and improve care for our elderly citizens. It's a positive step forward for doctors and seniors in the Capital Region," said Rep. Tonko.