| We are faced again this year with the need for Congress to forestall the scheduled cuts to Medicare physician payments —a nearly 5 percent reduction totaling $117 million to Ohio doctors next year alone. As you know, the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula is inherently flawed because it penalizes physicians when the growth in utilization of medical care is greater than growth in the gross domestic product. Ask your member of Congress to take action and prevent physician payment cuts in 2007, secure a positive payment update that accurately reflects practice cost increases (for 2007 MedPAC has recommended rates be increased 2.8%) and replace the unsustainable growth rate formula with a payment system that prevents the need for congressional intervention year after year! Although Congress recently enacted a freeze in payment rates under the Medicare physician payment formula and reversed the 4.4 percent cut that took effect for 2006, the crisis still looms. The 2006 Medicare Trustees report projects continued cuts in physician payment rates, due to the SGR, totaling 37 percent through 2015. In our state of Ohio, that’s $27,000 per year, per physician. Write your Congressional Representative TODAY. Let them know the payment system is inherently flawed, and that survey after survey (including 2006 AMC/NOMA data) has shown that the SGR will necessitate doctors begin limiting the Medicare patients they treat, or stop accepting new ones because to do so is becoming prohibitive.
Click here to be directed to an “Action Alert” sample letter one can easily email to Congress—Get proactive on behalf of your practice and your profession.
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