We warned you earlier that the situation in Congress would be fluid and move quickly, and that before the end of the month we’d be calling on you to complete “step 3”:

The Senate will be voting in the next two days on a new, compromise bill to avert the July 1 Medicare physician payment cuts. We need one final phone call to both Sen. Richard J. Durbin and Sen. Barack Obama asking them to vote YES...

Yesterday the U.S. House of Representatives passed its own bill, H.R. 6331, to block the July 1 Medicare payment cut by an overwhelming, bipartisan vote of 355-59. This margin is more than enough to overcome a threatened presidential veto.

The focus shifts again now to the Senate, which must consider and pass the House bill. That vote could occur as early as tomorrow.

Call Sen. Richard J. Durbin and Sen. Barack Obama NOW and urge them to vote for the Baucus compromise in the Senate this week. Use our hotline at (800) 833-6354.

The message is simple:

•    To ensure that Medicare patients continue to have timely access to care, the Senate must act now to stop the 10.6 percent cut in payments for physician services on July 1.

•    A good bill, H.R. 6331, just passed with overwhelming, bipartisan support in the House.

•    There are no acceptable excuses for not supporting H.R. 6331.

There is not enough time for e-mails. Phone calls are the only way to make your voice heard in time to stop the July 1 Medicare physician payment cuts!