U.S. Rep.

Jason Altmire, D-4th, voted Thursday for legislation that he said would ensure physicians who treat Medicare beneficiaries are not hit with a costly 21 percent fee cut starting in January.He said the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act, if approved, will permanently reform the way Medicare reimburses physicians to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries continue to have access to quality care.This bill passed the House of Representatives, 243-183, and is awaiting action in the Senate."If the scheduled 21 percent fee cut went into effect next January, there is a real possibility that many physicians who currently treat Medicare beneficiaries would stop doing so," Altmire said."Unlike years past, this Congress has passed a bill that will permanently reform this flawed payment system so that doctors are no longer faced with steep cuts each year."———The Pennsylvania Game Commission and state Department of Agriculture have joined Pennsylvanians for the Responsible Use of Animals to inform hunters about how they can help feed Pennsylvania families this upcoming deer season.The Hunters Sharing the Harvest program, said state Rep.

Dick Stevenson, R-8th, allows hunters to donate a portion of their deer meat to families in need.On average, the lawmaker noted, the meat from one deer can provide 200 meals for hungry Pennsylvanians.To date, hundreds of deer hunters have donated tens of thousands of pounds of venison to local food banks and soup kitchens through the HSH program. An average of more than 80,000 pounds of venison are donated a year to needy individuals.Last year, the Hunters Sharing the Harvest program coordinated the delivery of nearly 200,000 meals of venison to hungry Pennsylvanians.Hunters donating their harvest voluntarily pay a $15 tax-deductible fee toward each processed deer. The remainder of the processing fee is covered through HSH sponsors and donations.Anyone interested in donating venison to the HSH program can call 866-474-2141.Information can also be found at Stevenson's Web site at DickStevenson.com under "Hunters Sharing the Harvest."