The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday overwhelmingly passed legislation to block a July 1 cut in fees for Medicare doctors by instead reducing payments to private insurers in Medicare, the U.S. health-care program dealing with the elderly and disabled.

Despite a veto threat from the White House and protests from the insurance industry, the legislation passed 355-59 having supporters among doctors, hospitals, and pharmacists. The no-votes were all cast by Republicans. Democratic lawmakers supported it unanimously with 226 votes.

The White House opposes the bill because it would add restrictions on some private insurers’ versions of the government benefit for the elderly. More than 10 million of the 44 million Medicare beneficiaries are in private Medicare Advantage plans, many of which offer extra benefits not available in traditional Medicare.

The bill would prevent a July 1 cut of 10.6 percent in Medicare fees paid to doctors and hospitals for 18 months. The legislation could result in $14 billion less for them over five years.

Rep. John D. Dingell (D.-Mich.), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, who helped wrote the bill said “physicians will face a 10 percent pay cut that jeopardize access to care for seniors and the disabled” if the bill fails in the Senate, the Washington Post quotes him. Dingell and Democrat Charles Rangel of New York sponsor the bill.

The legislation has full support from the American Medical Association, which regularly sought and received prior postponements of planned cuts in Medicare payments to doctors.

Health insurers like Aetna Inc and Humana Inc would be cut payment under this legislation.