Medicare Reform

Long-term Medicare Reform Needed

On June 24, 2010 the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3962, the “Preservation of Access to Care for Medicare Beneficiaries and Pension Relief Act of 2010.” This piece of legislation includes provisions to replace the 21 percent Medicare physician payment cut that took effect at the beginning of June with a 2.2 percent payment update that will extend for a mere six months - through November 2010.

In December, the Medicare physician payment cut will be a whopping 23 percent, increasing to nearly 30 percent in January. Congress is playing a dangerous game of Russian roulette with seniors’ health care. Sick patients can’t wait. Congress must replace the broken payment system before the damage is done and cannot be reversed.

The vicious cycle of short-term delays that increase the size of the cut and the cost of reform for American taxpayers must come to an end. These cuts are a problem for you and your family because an AMA survey shows that these drastic cuts in Medicare payments will make it harder for patients to see their doctor.

Tell your senators what you think of their playing legislative games with your health care. Use the toll-free hotline at (888) 434-6200.

Consider some of these alarming survey results:

  • 60% of all doctors say a Medicare cut will force them to decrease or stop seeing new Medicare 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.

All this, just as Baby Boomers are about to enter into the Medicare system. Watch Dr. Mark Laitos talk about what these cuts really mean to patients and their doctors. Then tell your story. Use our hotline at (888) 434-6200.