Health care reform being drafted by the U.S. Senate Finance Committee fails to fix fundamental funding problems in the nation's Medicare and Medicaid systems and therefore threatens the ability of senior citizens and poor Californians to gain reliable access to a doctor, the California Medical Association said today.

While a fiscal analysis last week by the Congressional Budget Office indicates the bill would be less expensive than other health care reform legislation under consideration, it does not accurately assess the bill's long-term impact on care.

"The bottom line is if this bill becomes law, many senior citizens will end up struggling to find a doctor to see them," said Dr. Dev GnanaDev, CMA president. "Under the Baucus plan, Medicare payments to California physicians could be cut by 30 percent, and if that in fact happens, doctors will leave the program in droves and access to care will be significantly impaired."

CMA has long advocated for reform that provides universal access to health care and supports many elements of the House legislation H.R. 3200, such as replacing Medicare's unrealistic Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) target with a more sensible pay scale and increasing Medicaid reimbursements for primary care doctors. The House bill would overhaul the Medicare and Medicaid payments and ensure that access to care is protected.

The Baucus bill would also expand eligibility for Medicaid, the government health care program for the poor, up to 133 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. While the House bill would do the same, it matches the greater commitment by boosting payments, but the Baucus plan provides no such adjustment.

The Medicaid program in California, known as Medi-Cal, is already in distress due to chronic underfunding. Because reimbursements are so low, and in some cases do not even cover the cost of providing care, more than half of the state's practicing physicians don't see Medi-Cal patients. The result is restricted access for patients.

"We are greatly concerned that while fiscal conservatives may be applauding the Baucus plan, no one is examining the overall impact of the bill," GnanaDev said. "We will continue to work with lawmakers to craft workable health care reform, but right now, the Baucus plan does not live up to the billing - it offers a false promise of expanded coverage."

Source
California Medical Association