English subtitles for clip: File:2010-06-12 President Obama's Weekly Address.ogv

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The President: More than a decade ago,
Congress set up a formula that governs

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how doctors get paid by
the Medicare program.

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The intent was to slow the
growth of Medicare costs,

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but the result was a formula
that has proposed cutting

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payments for America's doctors
year after year after year.

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These are cuts that would not
only jeopardize our physicians'

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pay, but our
seniors' health care.

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Since 2003, Congress has acted
to prevent these pay cuts from

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going into effect.

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These votes were
largely bipartisan,

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and they succeeded when
Democrats ran Congress and when

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Republicans ran Congress --
which was most of the time.

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This year, a majority of
Congress is willing to prevent a

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pay cut of 21% -- a pay cut
that would undoubtedly force some

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doctors to stop seeing
Medicare patients altogether.

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But this time, some Senate
Republicans may even block a

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vote on this issue.

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After years of voting
to defer these cuts,

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the other party is now willing
to walk away from the needs of

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our doctors and our seniors.

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Now, I realize that simply
kicking these cuts down the road

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another year is not a long-term
solution to this problem.

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For years, I have said that a
system where doctors are left to

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wonder if they'll get fairly
reimbursed makes absolutely no sense.

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And I'm committed to
permanently reforming this

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Medicare formula in a way that
balances fiscal responsibility

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with the responsibility we
have to doctors and seniors.

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In addition, we're already
taking significant steps to slow

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the growth of Medicare costs
through health insurance reform

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-- not by targeting
doctors and seniors,

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but by eliminating 50%
of the waste, fraud,

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and abuse in the system by 2012.

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This not only
strengthens Medicare,

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it saves taxpayer dollars.

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I'm absolutely willing to take
the difficult steps necessary to

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lower the cost of Medicare
and put our budget on a more

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fiscally sustainable path.

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But I'm not willing to do that
by punishing hard-working

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physicians or the millions of
Americans who count on Medicare.

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That's just wrong.

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And that's why in
the short-term,

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Congress must act to prevent
this pay cut to doctors.

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If they don't act, doctors will
see a 21% cut in their Medicare

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payments this week.

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This week, doctors will
start receiving these lower

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reimbursements from
the Medicare program.

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That could lead them to stop
participating in the Medicare program.

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And that could lead seniors
to lose their doctors.

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We can't allow this to happen.

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We have to fix this problem so
that our doctors can get paid

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for the life-saving services
they provide and keep their

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doors open.

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We have to fix this problem to
keep the promise of Medicare for

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our seniors so that they get
the health care they deserve.

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So I urge Republicans in the
Senate to at least allow a

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majority of Senators and
Congressmen to stop this pay cut.

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I urge them to stand with
America's seniors and America's doctors.

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Thanks.