Election Season Is Time for Pinning Down Lawmakers on Medicare Payment

Want your federal legislators to improve Medicare physician payment? Get 'em while they're home campaigning.

That's the point of a President's message and an AAFP Speak Out campaign launched this week. Both called on members to take a few minutes to send an e-mail or make a telephone call in support of a Medicare payment update that prevents a scheduled 5.1 percent cut in 2007. Without an update, Medicare payment to physicians is scheduled to drop by 5.1 percent in January.

"Legislators have gone home to campaign, so approach them on their home turf. Push them to commit to preventing this Medicare pay cut when they return to Washington during the “lame duck” session after the elections," said AAFP President Rick Kellerman, M.D., of Wichita, Kan.

Kellerman urged members to call their U.S. representatives' local offices, go to the AAFP Speak Out on the Medicare payment issue, and attend public discussions and campaign events to ask legislators about their plans to fix the Medicare payment rate before 2007.

"…as legislators run for re-election, keep their feet to the fire," wrote Kellerman. "Tell them that family physicians cannot continue to absorb the increased cost of providing care for Medicare patients."