Physicians continue press to fix payment formula

CQ HealthBeat: Physicians Lobby Hard Against Payment Formula
Physicians are turning to a formulaic but effective routine to persuade lawmakers to change a Medicare payment formula: The American Medical Association dispatched doctors from 23 states on Tuesday for Capitol Hill visits, four days after a two-week national ad campaign launched. The payment formula, which most lawmakers agree is flawed, would result in a nearly 30 percent cut in January for physicians if Congress does not block it. In most years over the past decade, lawmakers have staved off the cut temporarily through short-term measures that exacerbate the long-term costs. The 10-year price tag for repealing the formula would now total about $300 billion (Adams, 10/11).