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AMA calls on Congress to ‘stop stalling,’ stabilize Medicare
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Physicians called on Congress to permanently stop a cycle of scheduled cuts and short-term patches by eliminating the current Medicare physician payment formula, according to an American Medical Association press release.
The release, which referred to the cycle of scheduled cuts as “fiscally irresponsible” and the Medicare physician payment formula as “broken,” noted that the AMA and 108 state and specialty medical societies sent a letter to the members of the congressional conference committee tasked with addressing the issue.
The letter features physicians calling for an end to the payment formula they claim has threatened access to care for seniors and military families in the Medicare program and TRICARE, the military health care program.
“There is bipartisan agreement that this issue has plagued Medicare and TRICARE for too long, and the cost for a permanent cure will never be less than it is right now,” Peter W. Carmel, MD, AMA president, said in the release. “By eliminating this failed formula once and for all, Congress can stop growing the size of the problem for patients, physicians and taxpayers. With a 27% cut scheduled on March 1, the time for permanent action is now.”
According to the release, the cost to taxpayers for permanent repeal of the Medicare physician payment formula has increased due to the frequent, short-term patches issued by Congress. As of 2005, the release notes, the cost of permanent repeal would have been $48 billion — today, it is reportedly estimated at nearly $300 billion.
“There have been 13 short-term patches passed by Congress,” Carmel said in the release. “These patches increase both the long-term cost to taxpayers and the severity of scheduled cuts to physicians who care for Medicare and TRICARE patients.”
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