DJP Update 3-4-2010 A message from 70,000 physicians to Congress about Medicare Payment System & The Right to Privately Contract without Penalty; and a few more things!
The letter below was sent today to the U.S. House of Representatives. The same letter was addressed and sent to the Senate Majority Leader Senator Harry Reid and the Senate Minority Leader Senator Mitch McConnell plus the entire Senate.
The message in the letter is long-standing AMA policy (since 1993) and among the highest advocacy issues of AMA as voted by the policy-making body of the AMA, the House of Delegates. (Reformatting of the names and addresses for this email)
The message also respects Liberty which has been the policy of These United States of America since 1776.
Stay tuned as the health system reform debate is nearing the holiday break of Congress and the sponsors of the senate and house bills are pushing for passage of these bills with disaster in the details prior to the March 29 – April 11 recess.
The focus is on the House of Representatives at the moment and you can be certain that a vote will be taken the moment the whip count shows enough votes for passage regardless of the day or hour. Lots going on behind the scenes in Washington, DC!
Call everyone you know in the House of Representatives and tell them not to pass the Senate bill! The vote could be very close.
March 4, 2010
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Speaker
The Honorable John Boehner
Minority Leader
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515 Washington
Subject: Medicare Physician Payment System and Private Contracting
Dear Speaker Pelosi and Minority Leader Boehner:
For nearly a year, the Coalition of State Medical and National Specialty Societies, representing more than 70,000 physicians, has expressed deep concern with the country’s broken and unsustainable medical payment system. Congress’ failure to adopt a permanent solution to prevent draconian cuts in Medicare payments to physicians affirms our concerns. Clearly, the current system is not financially sustainable. To help stabilize the Medicare system and ensure that seniors have timely access to care by the physician of their choice, we urge you to repeal the Sustainable Growth Rate and replace it with a new payment system that allows patients and physicians to privately contract without penalty.
The right to privately contract is a touchstone of American freedom and liberty and all patients should have the right to choose their doctor and negotiate the fees for those services without penalty. Medicare patients should not be required to forego the value of their Medicare insurance benefit because they privately contract with the physician of their choice; nor should physicians who privately contract with Medicare patients be required to opt-out of Medicare altogether for two years. Furthermore, in some instances, under current law it is actually illegal for a physician to waive or reduce his or her fee. By allowing patients to privately contract with their physicians, patients will have access to a greater number of physicians. In addition,
Congress can obtain budget certainty by establishing payment rates and giving physicians and patients the freedom to privately contract for any difference.
In closing, we believe that empowering patients and physicians with the right to privately contract is both an optimum and sustainable solution when it comes to the Medicare funding crisis. Please contact David Cook, Executive Director of the Medical Association of Georgia (dcook@mag.org 678-303-9251), if you have questions, need additional information or would like to discuss this concept in greater detail with the members of our coalition.
Thank you for considering our request.
Sincerely,
Medical Association of the State of Alabama
Medical Society of the District of Columbia
Florida Medical Association
Medical Association of Georgia
Kansas Medical Society
Medical Society of New Jersey
South Carolina Medical Association
American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
American Association of Neurological Surgeons
American Society of General Surgeons
Congress of Neurological Surgeons
Daniel H. Johnson, Jr., MD
AMA President 1996-1997
Donald J. Palmisano, MD, JD, FACS
AMA President 2003-2004
William G. Plested, III, MD, FACS
AMA President 2006-2007
cc: Members, United States House of Representatives
——–
A few other items you may find of interest:
— Watch Senator Blanche Lincoln’s new TV ad. She says she doesn’t answer to the Democratic Party. Interesting.
https://secure.democratsenators.org/o/40/p/wfc/dscc/senators/lincoln/donate?donate_page_KEY=6518
— Read the transcript of the exchange between Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin, ranking Republican on the Budget Committee, and President Obama at the Health Summit
Congressman Ryan is full of facts. The CQ transcript is posted at the Washington Post.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/25/AR2010022504074.html
— Some recent tweets you may enjoy; click on the links for the articles:
http://twitter.com/djpNEWS
#TomHanks toasts #NewOrleans”…most special place on planet”#NOLA.com at#WWIIMuseum movie ThePacific http://tinyurl.com/yjc3brk
about 12 hours ago via Echofon
Via #TheSaints New Orleans Saints turn New Orleans into America’s City – NOLA.com: http://tinyurl.com/ylomebx
about 14 hours ago via Echofon
Like a Greek tragedy play RT @washingtonpost #DavidBroder: The fable of Emanuel the Great: http://bit.ly/9WvXGi #Obama
about 14 hours ago via Echofon
RT @TheEconomist #BarackObama unveils his final strategy for pushing health reform in America http://econ.st/aXVugy#economist
about 14 hours ago via Echofon
Advantage of using #Twitter for news even when you don’t post tweets #NYTimes http://tinyurl.com/ygmbtqk
3:08 PM Mar 3rd via web
Stay well,
Donald
P.S. Stop by http://twitter.com/djpNEWS and sign up for DJPNEWS to get tweet alerts that may not make it into DJP Updates.
Also, recent selected DJP Updates can be found at: http://www.donaldpalmisano.com/html/djp_update/
Donald J. Palmisano, MD, JD
Intrepid Resources® / The Medical Risk Manager Company
5000 West Esplanade Ave., #432
Metairie, Louisiana USA 70006
504-455-5895 office
504-455-9392 fax
DJP@donaldpalmisano.com
www.donaldpalmisano.com
www.onleadership.us
This DJP Update goes to 2207 leaders in Medicine representing all of the State Medical Associations and over 100 Specialty Societies plus some other friends.
You can share it with your members and it has the potential to reach 800,000 physicians.
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