Effort to stop Medicare cuts hits 11th hour

Hundreds of doctors called their lawmakers, and the AMA ran an ad in two of the nation's largest newspapers as an open letter to patients.

By Damon Adams and David Glendinning, AMNews staff. Dec. 4, 2006.

Las Vegas -- The AMA House of Delegates reached across the country and spoke to congressional leaders in a year-end campaign to avoid a 5% Medicare physician payment reduction set for Jan. 1, 2007.

During the Interim Meeting last month, delegates gathered early one day so they could act as a single voice, calling lawmakers from their cell phones. The physicians urged their U.S. representatives and senators to act in the lame-duck session, stop the payment cut and provide a positive 2007 update to reflect increases in practice costs.

More than 550 calls were made in 20 minutes. Delegates also sent 457 e-mails and faxes to elected officials.

"This is a great start," said AMA house Speaker Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD, an internist from Buffalo, N.Y.

The AMA campaign also included a full-page ad that ran Nov. 15 in USA Today and The Washington Post. The ad was an open letter signed by physicians asking patients to tell Congress to take action and stop Medicare payment cuts.

Meanwhile, the AMA Board of Trustees issued an informational report during the meeting to raise awareness and spell out proposed remedies. The document calls on Congress to provide a positive payment update and to include provisions to facilitate a long-term solution.

"There is absolutely no valid reason for them to avoid action on this issue before the end of this session," AMA President William G. Plested III, MD, told AMA delegates in his speech.