AAFP Capitol Hill Rally Puts Health Care Reform on Lawmakers’ Agenda

In a historic first, family physicians rallied on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 27 to deliver a clear message to Congress: Take action on issues that threaten access to health care for all Americans.

“We stand on Congress’s doorstep to let them know that our job, taking care of the health care needs of the American people, has become increasingly difficult and, for some, impossible,” AAFP Executive Vice President, Douglas Henley, M.D., told physicians attending the Scientific Assembly who came out for the Vote for America’s Health Capitol Hill Rally to call on lawmakers to move health care reform to the top of the agenda.

According to a poll released by the Academy, 68 percent of voters said that the health care system is not meeting the needs of most Americans, and 57 percent said major reform is needed (37 percent said that some reform is needed).

“Today and for the next five weeks, the folks up there (on Capitol Hill) need something from us. They’re looking for our votes,” said Henley. “So, they will be extra nice to us when we ask them what they are doing for our patients.”

One good answer would be to replace Medicare's sustainable growth rate, or SGR, formula with a predictable and positive system for updating physician pay, said Rick Kellerman, M.D., of Wichita, Kan., incoming AAFP president.

“Our message to Congress is simple: Get your act together and fix the SGR,” he said, inciting a chant of “Fix it now!” from the crowd. “The government made a promise to provide America’s seniors with health care. Congress must fulfill that promise.”

Without a fix, doctors are slated for a 5 percent cut to Medicare payments starting Jan. 1.

“No one likes the SGR. It doesn’t work,” Rep. Vic Snyder, M.D., D-Ark, said at the rally. Snyder, a family physician, vowed to work toward passage of a positive update next year and a more permanent fix down the road.

And from the Senate side, Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., told rally attendees that their input would be crucial in passing a measure in the final days of the current session of Congress. He noted that earlier this year, 80 senators signed a letter encouraging their leaders to expedite such legislation.

However, many of the reforms physicians are seeking will have to wait until after the November elections.

“To improve the health care system in this country, we need to elect a Congress that has the moral courage to pass professional liability insurance reform to cover all physicians and protect patients’ access to care,” said outgoing Academy President Larry Fields, M.D., of Ashland, Ky.

Physicians support legislation that provides for the care of injured parties, but imposes a $250,000 cap on payments for pain and suffering, based on what has worked in California, he said, adding, “When we are forced to limit our services, retire early, or move to other states where liability premiums are stable, our patients suffer.”

Meanwhile, the need for family physicians is growing, said Mary Frank, M.D., of Mill Valley, Calif., outgoing AAFP board chair. She cited recent research suggesting that in order to meet demand, the number of family physicians should increase 39 percent, and in some states more than 70 percent, by 2020.

Ironically, funding for training of primary care physicians is slated to be cut for the second year in a row. Speakers raised other issues that a new Congress will need to address, including that the number of uninsured Americans continues to rise, premiums for health insurance are rising faster than inflation and support for medical research is lagging.

“I know that all of you subscribe to the philosophy that preventing a health problem is better than having to overcome one. That philosophy has served my family well, and it is a strong message for congress to remember when they are considering how to help doctors better serve the American people,” said patient Kathy Merlo, after explaining why she, her husband and their five children are so grateful for the relationship they have with their family physician.