Congress has once again failed to pass a bill to permanently fix Medicare's payment formula. Enough is enough!

And since the TRICARE health care program that covers these military families is tied directly to Medicare, these cuts will also harm access to health care for them as well as for millions of America's senior citizens.

The 23 percent Medicare physician payment cuts will impact the doctors who treat Medicare and TRICARE patients, many of whom will find that payments no longer cover the costs for the care they provide. Seniors and military families will pay the price, with fewer doctors and less access to the care they have earned.

Short-term actions are the wrong answer to this long-term problem. These Band-Aid fixes have only served to increase the size of the cuts and the cost of reform. The longer Congress delays, the higher the cost to the American taxpayer, and doctors and their patients are left in limbo.

Dear Member of Congress,

As a concerned patient, I am tired of the constant cycle of Medicare physician payment cuts which has only served to create an unstable system.

Short-term actions are the wrong answer to this long-term problem. These Band-Aid fixes have only served to increase the size of the cuts and the cost of reform.

Already about one out of four Medicare patients looking for a new primary care physician are having trouble finding one. The constant cycle of cuts and temporary patches makes me very worried that I won't be able to find a physician when I need one.

[Your comments will be inserted here]

An increasing number of doctors have been forced to quit accepting Medicare patients because of the program's burdensome regulations and unstable payment system.

Please do not cut Medicare doctor payments. Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter.

Sincerely,
[Your name here]