AMA urges Congress to protect access to medical care for seniors; AMA 'House Call' highlights impact of Medicare cuts on New Yorkers

BUFFALO, N.Y., Aug. 14 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The American Medical Association (AMA) visited Buffalo today to highlight the imminent access to care crisis facing New York's more than 2.5 million Medicare patients. If Congress does not stop the impending Medicare payment cuts by January 1, physicians will be forced to make difficult decisions about the number of Medicare patients they are able to treat.

"Over the next nine years, Medicare physician payments are scheduled for cuts of 37 percent, while at the same time the cost of caring for patients will rise 22 percent," said AMA President-elect Ron Davis, M.D. "Physicians want to serve senior patients, but they cannot afford to accept an unlimited number of new Medicare patients into their practices if Medicare payments do not keep up with the cost of providing care."

"Nearly half (45 percent) of the physicians surveyed by the AMA say that next year's Medicare cut will force them to either decrease, or stop, seeing new Medicare patients," said Dr. Davis. "These are difficult decisions that physicians don't want to make. If Congress doesn't act soon, Medicare patients could have a hard time finding a physician. New York's seniors deserve better."

The AMA, along with representatives from the Medical Society of the State of New York (MSSNY), met with local physicians and media today to discuss the effects of the Medicare payment cuts on New York. Today's visit to Buffalo was one of several upstate New York locations on the AMA's "National House Call" campaign to stop Medicare cuts.

"New York's health and its economy both will suffer if Congress does not stop the Medicare cuts," said MSSNY President, Richard M. Peer, M.D. "If the Medicare cuts go forward, New York will lose $242 million next year and more than $15 billion over the next nine years. That's a huge loss of federal dollars that could be spent for health care for New York's seniors."

Support of the New York congressional delegation is critical to preserve seniors' access to care. The Senate just took an important step toward legislative action as 80 Senators, including Sens. Hillary Clinton and Charles Schumer, recently sent a letter to the Senate leadership urging Congress to act soon to stop the cuts and reimburse physicians more in line with practice costs. In the U.S. House, 14 New York congressional representatives, including Rep. Thomas Reynolds, have pledged their support, and AMA thanks them.

"In just five years, the first wave of baby boomers will age into Medicare when they turn 65. Congress needs to take a long, hard look at the future of Medicare and take action to preserve access to care for this generation of seniors -- and those to come," said Dr. Davis.

The AMA urges all New York residents to contact members of the New York congressional delegation to urge them to fight to stop the Medicare physician payment cuts. For more information about the Medicare payment cuts or to contact a member of Congress, visit the AMA's Patient Action Network at http://www.PatientsActionNetwork.com or call 888-434-6200.

------

Editor's Note: U.S. Representatives from New York who have cosponsored a bill to stop the Medicare cuts during this Congress: Sherwood Boehlert, Eliot Engel, Brian Higgins, Maurice Hinchey, Sue Kelly, John "Randy" Kuhl Jr., Carolyn Maloney, Carolyn McCarthy, John McHugh, Jerrold Nadler, Louise McIntosh Slaughter, Edolphus Towns, James Walsh.