NYS Medical Society President Explains Implications of Congress' Failure to Prevent 21% Medicare Cut

ALBANY, NY (02/26/2010)(readMedia)-- In response to Congress' failure to prevent a 21% Medicare cut in physician reimbursement, which will, therefore, go into effect March 1, David Hannan, MD, President of the Medical Society of the State of New York (MSSNY), commented on its negative implications:

"It is an outrage that Congress has put New Yorkers' access to health care in jeopardy by failing to take action to prevent an unsustainably severe 21% Medicare physician reimbursement cut. Regardless of which party or which individual Senators are to blame for the failure to enact legislation to prevent the cut from going into effect, the bottom line is that this draconian reduction will go into effect on Monday. At a time when physicians face so many other hurdles in their effort to keep a viable practice, including extraordinarily high medical liability insurance costs, ongoing difficulty in being reimbursed fairly by health insurance companies and the other significant costs in running a small business in New York State, many physician practices will simply be unable to sustain this cut, and this will seriously jeopardize access to needed care for many, many patients.

We appreciate the support given by Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, and Representatives Rangel, Engel and the many other members of New York Congressional delegation who have supported a permanent fix of the grossly flawed formula for determining Medicare reimbursement. It is this failed formula that triggers such staggering cuts, and it must be changed. Our elected leaders must now re-double their efforts to assure the enactment of this legislation which will prevent this and future cuts, and allow physicians to continue to treat Medicare patients. It is not only physicians who support eliminating this ridiculous methodology which regularly threatens access to care. Many other associations of beneficiaries who depend upon this care, including AARP and the Military Officers Association of America, are also demanding reform.

We call upon Congress to roll up its sleeves and take action immediately upon returning to Washington on Monday to assure that seniors access to care is not interrupted and that physicians are fairly paid for treating Medicare patients."