AMA to Austin American-Statesman: Health care access for seniors

Austin American-Statesman
Letter to the Editor

To the Editor:

With a physician shortage looming, all physicians caring for seniors need to become proficient in geriatric care (Geriatricians' ranks thinning just as boomers retire, March 20, 2008). The American Medical Association is working to address the issue by developing educational resources for medical students and practicing physicians.

Seniors should also be aware that there's an immediate access to care crisis looming that demands attention by Congress. This July, the government will begin steep cuts in Medicare physician payments, and 60 percent of physicians say this cut will force them to limit the number of new Medicare patients they can treat. The Save Medicare Act (PDF, 75KB) was recently introduced in the Senate, and action is critically needed to stop the cuts and preserve seniors' access to care.

Sincerely,

Edward Langston, MD
Board Chair, American Medical Association