Doctors For America

Submitted as a Letter to the Editor:

With a massive pay cut looming March 1, Medicare providers are forced once again to reevalute their Medicare participation while worrying how the cuts will impact their private insurance payments, also often tied to Medicare. Investments in hiring or practice improvements are deferred until financial impact is known, stagnating practice economic benefit to communities. This same scenario has become a recurring nightmare every 6-12 months as Congress defers the tough work of fixing the broken Medicare SGR formula.

Patients, who already have challenges finding a provider who can afford to work under such steep discounts, will find access severely limited. Providers who continue to accept Medicare or whose private contracts are tied to Medicare will have to increase patient volumes and drastically cut costs, resulting in ever more hit-and-run medicine.

Potential savings abound in Medicare by promoting incentives for healthier lifestyles, focus on prevention rather than throwing a drug at every symptom, rewarding coordinated care, primary care, and responsible use of technology and procedures.

Leaders are NOT those who tow a party line, but rather, those who do tough work that is important yet not always popular. Real leaders, please step forward with real solutions to fix the Medicare SGR once and for all.