About the Issue


Permanent Medicare Reform Needed

An AMA survey shows that drastic cuts in Medicare payments will make it harder for patients to see their doctor.

Consider some of these alarming survey results:

  • 60% of all doctors say a Medicare cut will force them to decrease or stop seeing new patients and to discontinue nursing home visits. 
  • A majority of doctors in rural communities say they will no longer be able to conduct important outreach services due to nine years of projected cuts.
  • Nearly 3 out of 4 doctors say the Medicare cuts will force them to delay purchasing critical new medical equipment.
  • 65% of doctors say the Medicare cuts will force them to delay purchase of new health care technology.
Many doctors also reported that more Medicare patients are now being treated in emergency rooms for conditions that could have been treated in a physician’s office, that it’s gotten harder to refer patients to certain medical and surgical specialists, and that many seniors now have to travel further for needed medical care.

Americans deserve better.  The constant cycle of Medicare physician payment cuts and seniors access to health care being put into jeopardy must come to an end, and a permanent solution developed.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: S. 2785, The Save Medicare Act of 2008, has been introduced in the Senate. This bill would stop the Medicare physician payment cuts for 18 months, long enough to begin working on a long-term solution to the broken payment system. In addition, the bill will not increase the cost of permanently fixing the fatally flawed Medicare physician payment system. Urge your U.S. Senators to co-sponsor this legislation.