American Medical Association (AMA) President, Dr. Cecil B. Wilson, is urging Congress to do something about stabilizing Medicare payments to doctors during the next 13 months. In fact, medical societies in 50 states and the District of Columbia, as well as dozens of physician associations have joined the AMA in sending a strong message to Congress. They are urging for immediate action to prevent a 30% cut in Medicare payments which will hit at the end of 2010 – the cuts are aimed at protecting access to health care by American seniors.
The AMA says that time and again Congress has failed to address the flawed Medicare physician payment formula. Congress has relied on temporary reprieves form scheduled cuts instead. The latest temporary measure delays stabilized Medicare physician payments through to the end of November – a date which now looms close. If nothing is done by Congress promptly, physician Medicare payments will drop by over 23% on December 1, and then by 6.5% on January 1.
AMA President Cecil B. Wilson, M.D., said:
The AMA is calling on Congress to immediately address this impending crisis when they return to Washington after the November elections. Without action to stop the cuts, Congress will create a Medicare meltdown with access to care threatened for seniors and the baby boomers who will begin entering Medicare in January. Ultimately, a permanent solution must be passed to fix this broken system, but Congress must first stop the 30 percent payment cuts threatening seniors’ access to care now.
A 2010 MedPAC survey reveals that approximately 25% of seniors seeking a new primary care physician (general practitioner) had difficulties in finding one – a sign that the Medicare system is flawed and unstable.
Dr. Wilson said:
The threat of cuts to already low Medicare rates has left many physicians uncertain about the future of Medicare in their practice. The massive cuts scheduled at the end of this year come during the same time period when physicians can change their status within the Medicare program. Although these physicians are dedicated to their Medicare patients, many will be forced to consider changes including limiting the number of Medicare patients they can accept. Congress must send a strong message by stopping these cuts and committing to fixing this broken payment system that threatens access to care for patients.
While the majority of people are focused on the midterm elections, the “AMA is gearing up for a lame-duck congressional session scheduled to start on November 15”. Without the intervention of Congress, Dr. Wilson explains, payments to doctors will drop dramatically at the end of this year.
Dr. Wilson said:
With all eyes on the politics of Tuesday’s elections, the nation’s largest doctors lobby is reminding Congress of an imminent policy battle: how to prevent a looming Medicare cut for the country’s physicians.
Source: American Medical Association
Written by Christian Nordqvist