House Joint Resolution 3, introduced by Rep. Bill Thomas (R-CA), would halt implementation of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Medicare payment rule and prevent another cut in Medicare physician payments. The measure, H.J.Res. 3, would stop the 2003 physician fee schedule from going into effect March 1. The bill will freeze payments at their 2002 levels for one year.
Because of government errors in calculating the Medicare
payment formula, physicians have taken a 5.4% Medicare payment cut last year and without
government action by March 1st, physicians will take additional payment cuts over the next
two years of nearly 18%. Physicians from across the country will be visiting members
of Congress in Washington this week urging them to avert the Medicare crisis. The
American Medical Association, concurrently, will be running print ads in Washington with
the headline "America's Seniors Shouldn't Pay for the Government's Medicare
Mistake." The ad quotes doctors, policymakers, AARP and the media on the
importance in stopping the Medicare physician cuts. Drive-time radio ads will also
be aired. AMC/NOMA members are encouraged to write to their Congressman and urge
them to fix the Medicare mistake. Physician members of the AMC/NOMA may send
messages directly to their representatives through the AMC/NOMA web site at www.amcnoma.org.