MSMS, AMA Take Congress to Task on Broken Medicare System Because the federal government hasn't heeded the message that the flawed Medicare SGR formula needs to be permanently replaced to avoid payment cuts that lead to access problems, a 21-percent cut to Medicare physician reimbursement took effect on June 1.
“We are disappointed to find that Congress holds US physicians in such disregard that it could not include a permanent fix to the SGR problem which, at this point in time, has resulted in a 21-percent cut in pay for doctors who take care of Medicare patients,” said MSMS President Daniel B. Michael, MD, PhD, a Wayne County neurosurgeon. The AMA kicked off a new multi-million dollar advertising campaign on June 3 that includes prints ads in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today, as well as television and radio spots. When asked during a telephone news conference if the AMA is prepared for another possible “patch” from Congress to temporarily stop the cut, AMA President J. James Rohack, MD, replied, “Patches treat the symptoms; they’re not a permanent cure for the disease.
“Congress needs to address this problem, once and for all, so we can continue delivering care and improving quality without having to fight a constant battle to fix a system that everyone acknowledges is broken,” he continued.
SIGN THE PETITION
MSMS and a coalition of state medical societies urge physicians and patients to join the grassroots effort to fix Medicare by signing an online petition. The coalition is asking Congress to prevent a Medicare meltdown by properly funding Medicare to preserve access for seniors. Find more details and a link to the petition at www.msms.org/medicaremeltdown. What the Cuts Mean to Michigan
According to the AMA, the 21-percent cut would mean a loss of $610 million a year for the care of elderly and disabled patients in Michigan. On average, this would result in cuts of $23,000 per year to each Michigan physician. Read more about the impact on Michigan [pdf]>>
Find the 2010 Medicare Payment Toolkit at www.msms.org/medicare. For more information, contact Colin Ford at MSMS at 517-336-5737 or cford@msms.org.
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Advocacy