AAFP Leads Final Push to Avert Medicare Payment Cut

The AAFP has issued an action alert for members as part of an ongoing push to stop a 10.1 percent reduction in the Medicare physician payment rate scheduled to take effect under the sustainable growth rate formula in 2008.

The Academy issued the alert urging members to call and ask their representatives in Washington to "provide a positive Medicare update for 2008" on Dec. 13.

"Within the week, both the House and Senate will act on pending cuts in Medicare physician payment," says the alert. "Your senators and representatives will vote on legislation that will determine whether family physicians face a payment increase, freeze or cut. Don't let them make this crucial decision without hearing from you first."

Without a positive update, "Medicare patients will find it increasingly difficult to find the care they need if their physicians cannot afford to provide the best quality service," warns the action alert.

It is not clear whether Congress will be able to pass a physician payment bill before breaking for the holidays on Dec. 21, which makes the current action alert more urgent. The Medicare cuts are scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1.

The action alert also includes talking points that advise members on the best ways to convey the message that the impending cut will destabilize the Medicare program and jeopardize patient access to care. AAFP members should explain, for example, that Medicare payment cuts and freezes, coupled with the rising cost of doing business, would make it more difficult to provide quality care to patients.

In addition, says the alert, a 10 percent reduction in the physician payment rate will "cause other third-party payers to cut their payment rates," magnifying the impact of the cuts far beyond Medicare. At the same time, the pending cuts have created an unsustainable business climate for AAFP members who are primarily small business owners, a point physicians should make to their congressional representatives.

The action alert also urges AAFP members to involve their patients in the process by asking them to visit FamilyHealthAdvocate.org, which provides consumers with phone numbers for their representatives on Capitol Hill, making it easier for patients to weigh in on issues that affect family medicine.