NCAFP ThisWeek —

Legislature Approves $36.8 Million in Bonds for ECU Family Medicine Center

It is with great pleasure to report that the N.C. General Assembly approved the issuance of $36.8 million in bonds to fund construction of a new Family Medicine Center at East Carolina University as part of the state Budget bill that passed both the House and the Senate on Monday night. Funding the new Center had been the Academy's Number 1 Legislative Priority during this session of the General Assembly.

Please take a minute to thank your individual legislators for supporting this important appropriation. Look for additional details about the new Center in future issues of Notes and in the North Carolina Family Physician magazine. Many of the materials distributed in the Legislature are available on the Academy's website at www.ncafp.com/fundecu. Construction of the new Center should begin prior to the end of this year.

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U.S. Senate to Reconsider Medicare Fix Later this Week - Call Senator Burr's Office Immediately

Before leaving for the July 4th recess, the U.S. Senate failed to enact legislation that would prevent a 10.6 percent cut in Medicare physician payment (scheduled to take effect July 1). While Senator Elizabeth Dole supported the bill that had passed with bipartisan support in the House, Senator Richard Burr voted against the Legislation. Only one additional vote was needed for the bill to pass the Senate. While the bill only serves as a temporary 18-month fix and more substantive change to payment for preventive services and care coordination is needed, this bill represents the best possibility to prevent a cut in payment for the foreseeable future. It is crucial that every member contact Senator Burr's office on Tuesday or Wednesday to urge his support of HR 6331. Sen. Burr's office can be reached by calling 202-224-3154.

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