Tell Your Representative to Support Reform of the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR)

Preserve Patient Access to Care

As you know, family physicians participating in the Medicare program face a 10.6 percent cut in Medicare payments July 1.  In 2007, Congress approved legislation that provided physicians with a modest .5 percent update through July 1 of this year. 

Additionally, last year the House of Representatives drafted, debated, and approved legislation that allowed for the reform of the current physician payment methodology and put in place a pathway towards long-term reform.  Unfortunately, similar provisions were not approved by the Senate, and the legislation was not enacted.

Currently, several members of the House are taking a proactive approach to this serious issue. A Congressional sign-on letter is circulating in the House urging the leadership of the Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce Committees to address this crisis before the June 30 deadline.

Many osteopathic family physicians have informed us that they have decided to limit the number of Medicare patients in their practice or have decided to opt out of Medicare altogether.  Congress needs to hear this message.  Please urge your Representative to support reform of the Medicare physician payment formula, enabling you to provide quality care to your Medicare patients. 

PLEASE TAKE ACTION TODAY

ACOFP urges you to take a few minutes to send a letter to your Representative requesting that they sign this important letter. Get your fellow family physicians involved – tell them to call their Representatives NOW.

Click here to be directed to the AOA Advocacy Center!