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MEDICARE UPDATE: Great news! Congress heard the voices of millions of patients and physicians and voted to override President Bush’s veto and protect the health of America. H.R. 6331, the Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, has become law!
See how your representative and senators voted, then please take a moment to thank those lawmakers who voted “yes” for standing up for doctors, seniors and our military families. Use our Patients’ Action Network toll-free hotline at (888) 434-6200.
Permanent Medicare Reform Needed
An AMA survey shows that drastic cuts in Medicare payments will make it harder for patients to see their doctor.
Consider some of these alarming survey results:
- 60% of all doctors say a Medicare cut will force them to decrease or stop seeing new patients and to discontinue nursing home visits.
- A majority of doctors in rural communities say they will no longer be able to conduct important outreach services due to nine years of projected cuts.
- Nearly 3 out of 4 doctors say the Medicare cuts will force them to delay purchasing critical new medical equipment.
- 65% of doctors say the Medicare cuts will force them to delay purchase of new health care technology.
Many doctors also reported that more Medicare patients are now being treated in emergency rooms for conditions that could have been treated in a physician’s office, that it’s gotten harder to refer patients to certain medical and surgical specialists, and that many seniors now have to travel further for needed medical care.
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