TAKE ACTION NOW!! Urge Congress to Repeal the Medicare SGR and Prevent Further Cuts to Medi-Cal October 5, 2011 Advocacy, AMA, CMA, Medicare, Politics and Medicine, Public Health, SFMS Member CMA advocacy, Medicare SGR, Repeal SGR, SFMS advocacy 0 Congress has appointed a Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to develop $1.5 trillion in spending cuts/revenue increases by Thanksgiving. On January 1, 2012, physicians face a 30 percent Medicare sustainable growth rate (SGR) payment cut. The San Francisco Medical Society and California Medical Association (CMA) are joining the American Medical Association, state medical associations, and national medical specialty societies in a united campaign to get a permanent repeal of the flawed Medicare SGR formula included in the deficit reduction package that is currently being developed by Congress’ Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction. The deficit reduction committee is also considering proposals that would reduce federal matching funds for California’s Medi-Cal and Healthy Families programs. Decreases in federal expenditures would force California to further reduce physician payment rates and increase patient co-payments. SFMS, CMA, and the physicians of California are extremely concerned that additional cuts to already low payment rates will exacerbate the current access to care problems and cause irreparable harm to patients. There is unanimous agreement that cuts of this magnitude would result in serious disruptions in care for the nation’s elderly and disabled populations, and cannot be allowed to occur. We are asking Congress to repeal the SGR and work with us over the next few years to test and develop alternative payment models and health care delivery systems that ensure access to efficient, appropriate, high-quality, coordinated care. We believe that stable reimbursement in these programs not only protects access to care but also makes economic sense as physicians are important employers in their communities and repealing the SGR saves hundreds of billions of dollars. Physicians have been running a Medicare SGR marathon with Congress for the last decade. We are close to the finish line and need to make one last sprint! It’s NOW OR NEVER! CONTACT CONGRESS TODAY! EMAIL Senators Boxer and Feinstein through http://writerep.house.gov; www.boxer.senate.gov and www.feinstein.senate.gov. Also contact Congressman Becerra (D-LA), a member of the Deficit Committee at www.becerra.house.gov. Messages can also be sent to California Representatives who are in leadership positions: House Whip-Congressman Kevin McCarthy www.kevinmccarthy.house.gov; and House Minority Leader-Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi www.pelosi.house.gov. USE THE AMA GRASSROOTS HOTLINE at (800) 833-6354 to call your Representative and Senators Boxer and Feinstein. Key in your zip code and you will be connected to your Senator/Representative. Please state your name, specialty and city/county in which you practice, and urge them to: Repeal the Medicare SGR in the deficit committee legislation Stop further Medi-Cal physician payment cuts Protect access to care for California’s most vulnerable patients: Seniors, military families, the disabled, pregnant women and children Click here for background information about this issue.Click here for a list of talking points.Click here for a sample letter to your Representative or Senator.Click here for legislators' contact information. Comments are closed.
