GOVERNMENTIowa doctors seek issue in Medicare pay equityAn advertisement calls on presidential hopefuls to take a stand.By Markian Hawryluk, amednews staff. July 28, 2003. Washington -- Iowa physicians have put out a welcome sign for presidential candidates barnstorming the state in preparation for next year's Iowa caucuses. Just as long as these candidates say something the physicians want to hear. The Iowa Medical Society is seeking to elevate the already touchy topic of Medicare payment geographic equity to a major campaign issue. Their goal: to force the contenders to back reforms in the way doctors are paid. Lest the candidates think they can skirt the issue, Medicare pay equity will be staring them in the face when they step off the plane. IMS has placed a 4-foot by 10-foot advertisement in Des Moines International Airport telling candidates to back Medicare equity or get back on the plane. "The presidential candidates can't miss this," said IMS President Tom Evans, MD. "People have got to understand that this is a huge issue for our state and frankly, we believe, for the health care infrastructure in the smaller states and rural areas." Medicare adjusts physician payment for local variations in practice, work and liability insurance costs. That means doctors in rural areas such as Iowa get paid less per procedure than do counterparts in high-cost urban areas such as Manhattan or Miami. Dr. Evans said Iowa clinics and hospitals have trouble attracting doctors because Medicare payments often do not cover the cost of care. "Our patients are heavily dependent on Medicare, and the federal government is letting us down," he said. "Something isn't right when an 84-year-old has to wait four months and drive 70 miles to see a specialist, and a 50-year-old has to wait six months for a screening colonoscopy." [...]Full text of American Medical News content is available to AMA members and paid subscribers.
Copyright 2003 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
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