Medicare cuts to Physicians will harm Oregon
seniors... AMA makes 'House Call' to Oregon,
discusses new National Physician Survey
PORTLAND, Ore., July 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The
American Medical Association (AMA) National
House Call campaign came to Oregon today to draw
attention to an imminent access to care problem
for Oregon's nearly 504,000 Medicare patients.
The government will cut Medicare physician
payments 10 percent on January 1, 2008, forcing
physicians to limit the number of new Medicare
patients they can treat.
"More than half a million seniors in Oregon depend on
Medicare for
their health care coverage, and they will be negatively
affected by
Medicare cuts to physicians," said AMA House of Delegates
Speaker Jeremy A. Lazarus, M.D. "According to
the AMA's new physician survey, 60 percent of
physicians say they will be forced to limit new
Medicare patients when the government cuts
payment rates 10 percent next year."
Congressional action is the only way to stop the Medicare
cuts and
preserve seniors' access to physician care. The AMA and the
Oregon Medical Association (OMA) are urging
patients to contact Oregon's congressional
delegation to stop the Medicare physician
payment cuts and provide physicians with a
payment update in line with increases in the
costs of caring for patients.
"Physicians want to care for seniors, but drastic Medicare
cuts will
force physicians to make difficult practice changes," said
Dr. Lazarus.
"Oregon physicians will lose $41 million for the care of
elderly and
disabled patients next year due to the 10 percent cut in
Medicare
payments."
"Seniors in Oregon cannot afford to lose their doctors," said
Klaus
Martin, M.D., President of the Oregon Medical Association.
"With just 19
practicing physicians per 1,000 Medicare Beneficiaries,
Oregon has a below-average
physician-to-population ratio -- and this is
before the cuts go into effect this January."
"Next year's cut is just the tip of the iceberg," said Dr.
Lazarus.
"The government plans to cut Medicare payments to physicians
about 40
percent over the next nine years, while practice costs
increase 20 percent.
Seventy-seven percent of physicians say they will be forced
to limit the
number of new Medicare patients they can treat if the nine
years of cuts
occur."
"Military families are also at risk, because, by law, the
military
health insurance program TRICARE ties its physician payment
rates to
Medicare. We are deeply concerned about access to care for
Oregon's 67,000 TRICARE beneficiaries," said Dr.
Lazarus.
"We thank the Oregon Congressional delegation for their past
support to
stop Medicare physician payment cuts," said Dr. Lazarus.
"Now, we urge them to stop the pending 2008 cut
and instead adopt a positive update to preserve
access to care for seniors and military
families."
"Congressional action is needed now to preserve seniors'
access to care
and put Medicare on a firm foundation for the future. The
government must keep its promise to America's
seniors," said Dr. Lazarus.
