Speak out now on Medicare

Have something to tell lawmakers about Medicare hassles? Now is the time to do it.

Editorial. June 4, 2001.

Two items from Capitol Hill, of interest to all physicians concerned about reducing Medicare paperwork and regulatory headaches:

One is about AMA testimony that's notable not only for what was said but also for where it was presented. The other is an excellent, little-known opportunity for individual doctors to share their complaints about Medicare via a direct link to a key House committee.

The AMA testimony was presented last month to the House Committee on Small Business. It provided an apt, if seldom noted, context in which to frame physician concerns.

Typically, talk about medicine focuses on the uniqueness of medical practice -- for example, the education and ethics of physicians. It is easy to forget that most physician practices share much in common with "small business." In fact, two-thirds of physicians work in practices that employ fewer than 25 people.

Government paperwork and inefficiency puts a strain on the tight resources of any small business. Physicians have the added burden of 110,000 pages of Medicare rules and regulations on top of all the other rules.

That's a bit of perspective that lawmakers need to take into account when considering legislation that is essential to physicians, such as the Medicare Education and Regulatory Fairness Act. That bill has been the cornerstone of AMA advocacy efforts to find physicians relief from some of the worst government practices. [...]