On Wednesday a heated debate ensued at a meeting of the Medicaid Commission wherein testifying doctors argued proposed higher fees could deter many of the nation's poor from seeking necessary medical care. The federal advisory panel, appointed by the Bush administration, will advise Congress this fall as they look at adopting legislation on the issue. Under current rules, co-payments for adults may not exceed $3 for prescriptions, office visits and outpatient hospital visits and co-payments for children under 18 are not allowed. The panel, however, is considering allowing states to charge higher co-pays of $5 per adult and $3 per child. Several representatives from the AMA and other national physician societies argued against the proposed charges, citing emergency room visits as a last resort for low-income individuals results in higher costs down the line. Commission members said it was reasonable considering the program will cost the federal government more than $2 trillion over the next five years.