Aug 9 2005
The American Medical Association, (AMA), says that access to care for Florida's nearly 3 million Medicare patients will be in jeopardy if Congress does not act to halt a cut in payments to physicians.
The cuts scheduled will force physicians to make difficult decisions about limiting the number of new Medicare patients.
AMA Trustee Dr. Joseph M. Heyman, M.D. says that Medicare payments are scheduled to be cut up to 26 percent over the next six years, while the cost of caring for patients will rise 15 percent.
Heyman says even though doctors want to serve senior patients, they will not be able to afford to accept an unlimited number of new Medicare patients into their practices if Medicare payments do not keep up with the cost of providing care.
According to Dr. Heyman, a recent AMA survey showed that 38 percent of physicians will stop taking new Medicare patients, if the first of six scheduled payment cuts goes into effect on January 1.
That, he says, is just the tip of the iceberg, as the vast majority of cuts are scheduled to come after 2006.
At a press conference in Tampa to discuss the effects of the Medicare physician payment cuts in Florida, the AMA and the Florida Medical Association (FMA), urged patients to apply pressure to Florida's Congressional delegates, to support bipartisan legislation pending in both the U.S. House and Senate, to reverse planned Medicare physician payment cuts.
Dr. Heyman says some members of Congress recognize the severity of the problem, and have introduced bills to address the problem.
There are two bills currently before the House attempting to stop the payment cuts and pay physicians based on practice costs.
FMA President Dennis Agliano, M.D. says that in Florida, Medicare payments to physicians will be cut by $252 million next year, and by 2011, Florida will lose more in federal health care dollars, more than any other state.
Dr. Heyman says they are working to preserve access to care for Florida's senior and disabled patients.
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