| By actively monitoring
legislative affairs affecting health system reform DCMS is keeping
you in the know. You can also visit our HSR page
for additional information.
Sign petition for SGR
fix. A Medicare payment fix still tops TMA’s congressional
agenda. A big reason for our disappointment in the House-passed
health bill is that it does not replace the SGR with a rational
physician payment system that keeps up with the cost of running
a practice and is backed by a fair, stable funding formula. The
current freeze of payment rates expires April 1. The House and the
Senate have passed separate bills to extend the freeze until April
30 and Sept. 30, respectively. Please participate in our drive to
gather 1 million petition signatures to “Stop the Medicare
Meltdown.” Put
your name on our online petition and provide print
copies for your patients, colleagues, and staff to sign as well.
Due to Congress’ inaction,
Medicare payments to U.S. physicians were slashed by 21.2 percent
on March 1. It’s part of a 10-year pattern of threatened cuts,
reversed cuts, and constant uncertainty. What we haven’t seen
is a financing plan that ensures that millions of patients with
Medicare coverage have a physician of their choice to care for them.
Another short-term fix, or
plan of action, only slightly delays the inevitable problem and
makes it extremely difficult for physicians to continue their care
for seniors and military families. Patients deserve better. Physicians
deserve better. Congress needs to address this problem now.
We must act now. Here’s what TMA, along
with DCMS, is doing and here’s what you need to be doing to
fight the Medicare Meltdown:
| Activity |
What TMA/DCMS is Doing |
What YOU Need to Do |
| Lobbying |
TMA physician and alliance leaders and senior staff are on
Capitol Hill this week, meeting with Texas senators and representatives.
We're making the case in person to reverse the cut and permanently
repeal the Sustainable Growth Rate formula. DCMS leaders and
staff are in contact with TMA leaders. |
Light up the phones in D.C. Use to contact Sens. John Cornyn
and Kay Bailey Hutchison and your U.S. representative. Tell
your story. Tell them what Medicare's flawed payment scheme
is doing to your patients and your practice. Tell them you won't
accept another patch. No more Band-Aids. Ask for their commitment
to support a fair and permanent new payment system. Find
Congressional contact info here. |
| Engage Patients |
Patient power is the key to our success. TMA and DCMS are
making it easy for patients to understand the Medicare Meltdown
and get involved. At the MeAndMyDoctor.com
Web site patients can log in and send a strong message directly
to Congress. |
Talk to your patients. Explain what's happening and how it
affects them. Ask them to get involved. Point them to MeAndMyDoctor.com.
Below you can find all the resources necessary to clearly communicate
with your patients on this matter. |
To see TMA’s full plan of attack
to fight the Medicare Meltdown visit TMA's
Medicare Meltdown Action Center
Below you will find all the tools necessary to fight for your practice
and your patients.
Current State: Explanation
of Today’s Reality
Resources:
“How
to talk to your patients…” Talking
points to use when talking to your patients
“Sample
letters to the editor…” Sample letters
for you to use when contacting the editor of your local paper
“Sample
letter to your patients…”
Downloadable
and easy to print flyers for your office (Note: You
must have Adobe Reader installed to view the PDF documents. This
is a free program and is available by going to www.adobe.com,
then download the latest version of Adobe Reader.)
Media Coverage:
AMA
News Release The U.S. Senate voted yet again to delay
the 21 percent Medicare physician payment cut for one month.
Medicare
“Band-Aid” Is Worthless to Patients TMA statement
from William H. Fleming III, MD, president of the Texas Medical
Association.
Call
Your Congressman About SGR Read the email from Stephen
Ozanne, MD sent to membership urging physicians to contact their
Congressman
TMA
News Release Congress Allows Medicare Meltdown to Happen
TMA
president leery of Medicare payment cuts March 1, 2010
House
Puts Off the Medicare Pay Cut—Again Feb. 24, 2010
Congress,
fix Medicare payments Feb. 24, 2010
Social
Networks:
Medicare
Meltdown videos from TMA’s YouTube Channel
Twitter petitions
(by retweeting the message you simultaneously send the petition
to Congress AND invite all your Twitter followers to do the same)
Follow
DCMS on Twitter
Write Congress: View
Congressional contact information
|
