Ophthalmologist to speak on ‘health care security’ at White House summit today

FAIRFAX, Va. — Increasing administrative burdens, declining Medicare reimbursements and “the medical malpractice insurance crisis” are the top three items Priscilla Perry, MD, plans on addressing with White House personnel during today's economic summit. Dr. Perry is the chair of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery’s Government Relations Committee.

Dr. Perry is one of several physicians on a panel of 20 people slated to discuss “Health Care Security” during the president's economic summit, being held today in Waco, Texas. President Bush is expected to participate in the panel, which will discuss rising health care costs and new approaches to making high-quality health care affordable for all Americans, according to a news release from ASCRS.

“Regulatory demands are increasing and driving up the administrative and documentation burdens that physicians must confront,” said Dr. Perry. “As the costs in dollars and worker-hours increase, we and all other providers are being squeezed by declining reimbursements from Medicare and other third-payers, which link their payments to Medicare scales. The system does appear to be in crisis on many fronts for both physicians and for patients.”

Among other specific topics the panel will address are information technology and quality, the rising costs of health care, an affordable drug benefit for senior citizens and decreasing the paperwork burden for providers.

“Medical malpractice reform is critically important. The withdrawal of a major insurer from the market, the astronomical increase in rates, and the decreases in reimbursement under Medicare and other third-party payers are combining to drive some physicians out of the practice of medicine. This can only aggravate the problems patients are already beginning to experience in some areas in finding physicians who can treat them,” said Dr. Perry.