Senate Fails to Act to Stop 21.2% Cut in Medicare Payment

Once again our nation's fractured health care system sits at the precipice of a potentially decimating cut of 21.2% to Medicare physician payment rates scheduled to take effect on March 1. This cut will not only cripple many family physicians, but it will make primary care even more difficult to access for many of our most vulnerable senior citizens.  While the Senate adjourned on Friday without taking action, both Senator Menendez and Senator Lautenberg and their staffs still need to hear from anyone interested in stopping these cuts.  Please call Senator Menendez at (202) 224-4744. Senator Lautenberg's office can be reached at (202) 224-3224. Urge them and their colleagues to take immediate action to establish a permanent solution to the physician payment system. NJAFP President, Steve Nurkiewicz, MD noted, "This failure on the part of our elected officials once again calls into question their commitment to ensuring access to quality, affordable health care to our nation's most vulnerable citizens." Simply put, Medicare payment cuts create an unstable and unpredictable program. Many physicians will be left with no choice but to stop seeing Medicare patients, who already are often most in need of regular access to care.  Without Congressional intervention, the proposed Medicare physician cut will inarguably will compromise access to care for Medicare patients and for military families whose TRICARE coverage is based on Medicare rates.  In addition, the SGR affects the larger insurance pool. Many private insurance companies look to Medicare payment rates when determining the amounts they will pay physicians.  This hurts everyone at a time when no one can afford to be hurt.

"Seniors and the disabled in New Jersey are likely to find it more difficult to get needed care if the Senate doesn't quickly reverse this cut."  NJAFP Executive Vice President Ray Saputelli, MBA, CAE said, "Family physicians have historically been the first doctors to step up and care for their patients without any regard to payment, but in a state where the largest commercial payer pays primary care doctors at roughly 80% of Medicare rates, this cut will lead to the very real possibility that practices across the state will face insolvency. There will be nowhere left for Medicare patients to go."

The NJAFP joins with the AAFP and physicians across the country in urging the Senate to stop this potentially crippling measure.