http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/17/health/views/17essa.html?ref=views&pagewanted=print
Doctors Press Senate to Undo Medicare Cuts
Congress is under fire for failing to fix the Medicare payment mess. Both parties are at fault. Democrats for linking physician pay changes to Medicare Advantage funding and Republicans for favoring insurance interests over physicians. In the end though, the Democratic controlled Congress bears the most blame for being unwilling to address the entire SGR (sustainable growth rate) issue related to physician payments for Medicare. Just one more example of the ineptitude, political posturing and gamesmanship at work in Congress. They are NOT interested in doing the people’s business, just protecting their own . . . jomaxx
Congress returns to work this week with Medicare high on the agenda and Senate Republicans under pressure after a barrage of radio and television advertisements blamed them for a 10.6 percent cut in payments to doctors who care for millions of older Americans . . . see link for full article
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/07/health/policy/07medicare.html?ref=policy&pagewanted=print
Once again, our Congress, in this case the Senate, has shown their inability to to divorce themselves from the powerful insurance lobby by refusing to delay a 10%+ cut in Medicare payments for physicians which went into effect July 1st – the pay rates are actually lower than they were in the early 1990’s despite the increased costs of running a medical practice. The time for inaction, political posturing and gamesmanship in Washington is at an end. Congress either needs to act correctly or the public must look for new leaders when they go to the polls in the fall elections . . . jomaxx
Senate inaction on Medicare cuts generates anger from physicians and the AMA
Reflecting physicians’ frustration with a group of senators that blocked action last week on legislation that would stop harsh Medicare physician payment cuts, the AMA began airing new TV and radio ads on Tuesday urging opponents of the “Medicare Improvements to Patients and Providers Act” (H.R. 6331) to put patients’ access to care before insurance profits. The ads will run initially in Mississippi, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming through this week’s congressional recess.
The ads open with a reference to Independence Day, then say: “There’s no celebrating for the millions of Medicare patients—seniors, the disabled and military families—who will lose their access to health care. A group of U.S. senators voted to protect the powerful insurance companies’ huge profits at the expense of Medicare patients’ access to doctors.”
“The AMA is activating a full-court press—both advertising and grassroots—in the states during the Independence Day recess,” said Dr. Nielsen. “Over the month of June more than 41,000 calls by patients and physicians have been made to Congress urging action through the AMA’s grassroots hotline alone. Physicians and patients will be holding their senators’ feet to the fire.”
AMA ad against Medicare reductions
View a news release about the new AMA ads and visit the Web site to watch the ads.
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/18739.html
The AMA is supporting access to coverage for America’s uninsured. While this article (see link below) suggests that new AMA President Dr. Nielsen’s background as chief medical officer at a health plan will make her more understanding of issues insurers face, it remains clear to this observer that health insurance companies remain the largest obstacle to real health reform . . . jomaxx
New AMA president vows to make uninsured Americans a priority.
In a report from the Chicago Tribune (6/22, Japsen) reported that Nancy Nielsen, M.D., Ph.D., new president of the AMA, vowed at the annual meeting last week in Chicago to use the power of her presidency and clout of the AMA to advocate for nation’s uninsured. Dr. Nielsen will need to call on her past experiences in a year in which doctors will be fighting with health plans, drug companies, employers, and others for a seat at the table when healthcare reform is debated. Because of that background, many physicians feel she will have a less adversarial relationship with the health insurance industry than her predecessors. Some believe that her work as chief medical officer at a health plan gives her an understanding of how health plans rate doctors on quality measures, and patient safety initiatives. Dr. Nielsen endorses use of report cards by health insurance companies, but wants physicians involved in what is rated.
www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-sun-front-ama-nielsenjun22,0,1336406.story