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Payment Cuts for Medicare Physicians are Bad News for Older Americans
Target: U.S. Congress
Sponsored by: AMA Patients' Action Network
Sponsored by: AMA Patients' Action Network
On January 1, 2010, physicians face a minimum across-the-board cut of 21 percent in Medicare payments. This cut will grow to about 40 percent in cumulative cuts by 2016 unless Congress permanently reforms Medicare's physician payment system.
These cuts and low payments will limit older Americans' access to health care. How? Some doctors have said the cuts will force them to decrease or stop seeing new Medicare patients. Which means older people may be forced to travel further for needed medical care, or even go to emergency facilities instead of a doctor's office for basic care!
Furthermore, pay cuts may stop physicians from purchasing health information technology. The Medicare physician payment system needs to keep up with rising practice costs so that seniors can be assured of continued access to quality care.
Urge Congress not to settle for another temporary fix -- health system reform must include Medicare reform and we need a long-term solution now. America deserve nothing less!
These cuts and low payments will limit older Americans' access to health care. How? Some doctors have said the cuts will force them to decrease or stop seeing new Medicare patients. Which means older people may be forced to travel further for needed medical care, or even go to emergency facilities instead of a doctor's office for basic care!
Furthermore, pay cuts may stop physicians from purchasing health information technology. The Medicare physician payment system needs to keep up with rising practice costs so that seniors can be assured of continued access to quality care.
Urge Congress not to settle for another temporary fix -- health system reform must include Medicare reform and we need a long-term solution now. America deserve nothing less!
Send Letter see who signed this
We took action on “Payment Cuts for Medicare Physicians are Bad News for Older Americans”!
# 13,200:
12:08 pm PST, Jan 25,
Nelia Lake, Maine
# 13,199:
11:59 am PST, Jan 25,
Amy Kalblein, New York
# 13,198:
8:52 am PST, Jan 25,
Karen Marion, Nebraska
PLEASE GIVE..TO OUR OLDER FAMILY MEMBERS..WHAT YOU HAVE IN MEDICAL CARE..NO MORE,NO LESS AND BLESS YOU FOR IT!!!
PLEASE GIVE..TO OUR OLDER FAMILY MEMBERS..WHAT YOU HAVE IN MEDICAL CARE..NO MORE,NO LESS AND BLESS YOU FOR IT!!!
# 13,197:
8:00 am PST, Jan 25,
Lenore Wright, New Hampshire
# 13,196:
7:58 am PST, Jan 25,
Mona Cardell, Pennsylvania
Fix the formula used to determine provider payments.
Fix the formula used to determine provider payments.
# 13,195:
6:24 am PST, Jan 25,
Helen Martin, West Virginia
# 13,194:
6:00 am PST, Jan 25,
Lydia Bisaillon, Massachusetts
# 13,193:
5:37 pm PST, Jan 24,
Name not displayed, Illinois
# 13,192:
11:27 am PST, Jan 24,
Dana Hill, Mississippi
# 13,191:
10:43 am PST, Jan 24,
Steffani Lazier, California
# 13,190:
9:21 am PST, Jan 24,
Elsie Hickey Wilson, Wisconsin
As a retired person on medicare, I urge you to support keeping doctors paid for their services. This is not an area that America should be cutting at this time or any time. The senior citizens with this need should not be sacrificed when big business and big money in the nation have so much power. Those at the bottom of the pay scale deserve support, also. Thank you again for all you do to support the health of medicaare patients.
As a retired person on medicare, I urge you to support keeping doctors paid for their services. This is not an area that America should be cutting at this time or any time. The senior citizens with this need should not be sacrificed when big business and big money in the nation have so much power. Those at the bottom of the pay scale deserve support, also. Thank you again for all you do to support the health of medicaare patients.
# 13,189:
8:37 am PST, Jan 24,
Br. Jonathan Maury, SSJE, Massachusetts
# 13,188:
7:42 am PST, Jan 24,
Sheila Perry, North Carolina
# 13,187:
11:38 pm PST, Jan 23,
Cindy Strousberg, Florida
# 13,186:
11:31 am PST, Jan 23,
Megan Prather, Illinois
# 13,185:
10:33 pm PST, Jan 22,
Crystal Aoun, Virginia
# 13,184:
8:36 pm PST, Jan 22,
Patrick Lewis, California
# 13,183:
6:14 pm PST, Jan 22,
Martha Luger, Arizona
# 13,182:
5:43 pm PST, Jan 22,
Ann Wagner, Arizona
# 13,181:
5:04 pm PST, Jan 22,
Jalus Siddhi, Hawaii
# 13,180:
4:05 pm PST, Jan 22,
Name not displayed, New Hampshire
# 13,179:
11:51 am PST, Jan 22,
Susan Armistead, M.D., Florida
Most elderly people on Medicare have payed into the Medicare Taxes all oftheir lives. Just because Congress decided to raid the Medicare Fund over and over is NO reason to jeopardize their healthcare by diminishing Medicare payments to doctors so they can not afford to take Medicare into their practices. this is unexcusable.
Most elderly people on Medicare have payed into the Medicare Taxes all oftheir lives. Just because Congress decided to raid the Medicare Fund over and over is NO reason to jeopardize their healthcare by diminishing Medicare payments to doctors so they can not afford to take Medicare into their practices. this is unexcusable.
# 13,178:
9:51 am PST, Jan 22,
Julie Greenspan, California
# 13,177:
8:36 am PST, Jan 22,
Kathryn Christy, Oklahoma
# 13,176:
5:16 am PST, Jan 22,
Barbara Vieira, New York
# 13,175:
9:27 pm PST, Jan 21,
Al Shaw, New Jersey
# 13,174:
9:13 pm PST, Jan 21,
Joyce Barone, Pennsylvania
# 13,173:
7:47 pm PST, Jan 21,
Ant Man, Ohio
# 13,172:
7:30 pm PST, Jan 21,
Susan Webb, Maryland
all of us will be elderly one day.. and will need more medical care as we age please don't let my mom down she's 85 and needs her medicare
all of us will be elderly one day.. and will need more medical care as we age please don't let my mom down she's 85 and needs her medicare
# 13,171:
1:00 pm PST, Jan 21,
Claire Andrews, Florida
# 13,170:
12:39 pm PST, Jan 18,
Kathryn Woods, Massachusetts
# 13,169:
5:25 pm PST, Jan 16,
Candice Barnett, California
# 13,168:
2:14 pm PST, Jan 16,
Kallen Von renkl, Colorado
# 13,167:
7:30 pm PST, Jan 15,
Emily Murdock Baker, New York
# 13,166:
4:10 pm PST, Jan 15,
Roberto Vivas, New York
# 13,165:
6:02 am PST, Jan 15,
Name not displayed, Florida
# 13,164:
4:02 pm PST, Jan 14,
Steve & Anne Turner, California
# 13,163:
9:06 pm PST, Jan 9,
JESSICA PUK, Pennsylvania
# 13,162:
3:37 am PST, Jan 9,
William Miles, Washington
I sincerely believe that the government has found a way to "eliminate" the "baby boomer" by cutting anywhere they can, which would in turn eventually "eliminate" the booming population with little or no access to much needed medical doctors. We are playing the role of "big brother" to the world when our government can't or won't take care of us. So sad.
I sincerely believe that the government has found a way to "eliminate" the "baby boomer" by cutting anywhere they can, which would in turn eventually "eliminate" the booming population with little or no access to much needed medical doctors. We are playing the role of "big brother" to the world when our government can't or won't take care of us. So sad.
# 13,161:
9:58 pm PST, Jan 8,
Michael Bryant, California
# 13,160:
8:29 am PST, Jan 4,
Brady Root, New Jersey
# 13,159:
10:28 pm PST, Jan 3,
Linda Cleeland, Australia
# 13,158:
9:46 pm PST, Jan 2,
Caroline Buchanan, New Mexico
# 13,157:
9:44 pm PST, Jan 2,
Nadine Rasco, New Mexico
# 13,156:
6:13 pm PST, Jan 2,
Tammy Rick, Iowa
# 13,155:
11:51 am PST, Jan 2,
Paola Paniagua, Florida
# 13,154:
9:08 am PST, Jan 2,
Debby Makarius, Ohio
I am a psychotherapist in Nursing Homes. Benefits are already cut, please tell me what is going to happen with the Baby Boomers hitting Medicare age? Too bad the President and Congress are exempt from using the new health care program. They can use and afford whatever health care the need,;the average American cannot. Plus, most of our elderly are low income.This is pathetic and sad. I honor the elderly, We all should!
I am a psychotherapist in Nursing Homes. Benefits are already cut, please tell me what is going to happen with the Baby Boomers hitting Medicare age? Too bad the President and Congress are exempt from using the new health care program. They can use and afford whatever health care the need,;the average American cannot. Plus, most of our elderly are low income.This is pathetic and sad. I honor the elderly, We all should!
# 13,153:
8:23 am PST, Jan 2,
Joseph Marshall, Ohio
Dear Congressmember Latta, As someone who is concerned about the future of health care in our country, I am writing you today to voice my objection to Medicare doctor payment cuts. Many doctors reported that more Medicare patients are now being treated in emergency rooms for conditions that could have been treated in a physician's office and that it has gotten harder to refer patients to certain medical and surgical specialists. view more An AMA survey shows that drastic cuts in Medicare payments will make it harder for older Americans to see their doctor. For example: - 60 percent of all doctors say a Medicare cut will force them to decrease or stop seeing new patients and to discontinue nursing home visits. - A majority of doctors in rural communities say they will no longer be able to conduct important outreach services due to nine years of projected cuts. - Nearly 3 out of 4 doctors say the Medicare cuts will force them to delay purchasing critical new medical equipment. - 65 percent of doctors say the Medicare cuts will force them to delay purchase of new health care technology. Please do not cut Medicare doctor payments. Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter. Sincerely, Dr. Joseph J Marshall
Dear Congressmember Latta, As someone who is concerned about the future of health care in our country, I am writing you today to voice my objection to Medicare doctor payment cuts. Many doctors reported that more Medicare patients are now being treated in emergency rooms for conditions that could have been treated in a physician's office and that it has gotten harder to refer patients to certain medical and surgical specialists. view more An AMA survey shows that drastic cuts in Medicare payments will make it harder for older Americans to see their doctor. For example: - 60 percent of all doctors say a Medicare cut will force them to decrease or stop seeing new patients and to discontinue nursing home visits. - A majority of doctors in rural communities say they will no longer be able to conduct important outreach services due to nine years of projected cuts. - Nearly 3 out of 4 doctors say the Medicare cuts will force them to delay purchasing critical new medical equipment. - 65 percent of doctors say the Medicare cuts will force them to delay purchase of new health care technology. Please do not cut Medicare doctor payments. Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter. Sincerely, Dr. Joseph J Marshall
# 13,152:
7:28 pm PST, Jan 1,
Katayun Salehi, Illinois
# 13,151:
7:24 pm PST, Jan 1,
Heather Phillips, Tennessee
