DJP Update 9-16-2011 Time for Medicine to leave gov bargaining table; MEDPAC
My tweets below give the message. Let’s learn from a hero, like SGT Dakota Meyer, Medal of Honor winner. Let’s do the RIGHT thing. Don’t go along to get along. Our responsibility is to Medicine and our patients. Every deal coming out of Washington, DC is destroying Medicine and losing access to care for patients.
Every medical group should be advocating to the public for passage of the Medicare Patient Empowerment Act. See:
http://thomas.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c112:H.R.1700:
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/advocacy/current-topics-advocacy/practice-management/medicare-patient-empowerment-act.page
(From AMA Website) “This bill, in line with AMA policy, (D-390.960 Assuring Patients’ Continued Access to Physician Services) would allow Medicare patients and their physicians to enter into private contracts without penalty to either party. It would enable beneficiaries to use their Medicare benefits to see physicians who do not accept Medicare, as opposed to paying for the entire cost of their care out-of-pocket as required under current law.”
Balance-billing is a top AMA policy and that bill has it. AMA is in favor of it as it matches AMA policy. AMA needs to shout about it! We need to educate our patients; we need to make our message heard at ballot box.
Why do we not see the balance-billing issue top center in the AMA and specialty society protests against the recent proposal by MedPac. It is not mentioned at all! MedPac proposal will continue price-fixing and decrease payment to specialists. Gov wastes our money in so many questionable deals. Gov should learn to be a good fiduciary.
Sad times. Medicine needs to stop being a victim and stop sanctioning the abuse. Time for an intervention. Time for courage! Otherwise membership in organizations will go to single digits as Medicine is being destroyed.
One always loses in a negotiation if the other side is allow to frame the argument under discussion. Physicians need to say, We are Americans; we have liberty; we have right to set our fees and negotiate with patients. You, Government, have the right to decide how much you can afford to pay. The rest is between patient and physician. In America, one would not think we would have to point out that Australia does it that way.
DJP
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www.twitter.com/DJPNEWS
DJPNEWS Donald Palmisano
Time for organized medicine to exit bargaining table with gov as every deal past 2 yrs a disaster; go directly to patients & ballot boxes.
3 minutes ago
DJPNEWS Donald Palmisano
Attn #AMA & #ACS & all med societies: time to stop agreeing that gov has right to remove our #Liberty by price-fixing; AMA: ADVOCATE policy!
8 minutes ago
DJPNEWS Donald Palmisano
Another loser! #MedPac fix #SGR -price-fixes & cuts payment to specialists = loss of access to care. Pass Medicare Patient Empowerment Act
13 minutes ago
DJPNEWS Donald Palmisano
#FollowFriday @Dakota_Meyer #MedalOfHonor recipient #USMC
5 hours ago
DJPNEWS Donald Palmisano
@Dakota_Meyer all USA in awe! RT @DJPNEWS: More re heroics #MedalOfHonor .. Marine Sgt Dakota Meyer: tinyurl.com/3npbtww #Leadership …
16 hours ago
DJPNEWS Donald Palmisano
More re heroics of #MedalOfHonor recipient Marine Sgt Dakota Meyer: tinyurl.com/3npbtww #Leadership #Hero #Courage #Decisiveness
16 hours ago
DJPNEWS Donald Palmisano
Why won’t Congress allow patients & Drs determine fees regardless of what #Medicare pays? Private contract = hallmark Free Enterprise. #hcr
19 hours ago
DJPNEWS Donald Palmisano
Still is price-fixing & anti- #Liberty if no balan-bill #hcr RT @thehill: OVERNIGHT HEALTH: SGR alternative takes shape bit.ly/ntR6wc
19 hours ago
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Article about MedPac recommendations:
http://www.medpagetoday.com/PublicHealthPolicy/Medicare/28550
In the second paragraph of that article there is a link to a PDF with the MedPac proposal.
In slide 13, there is a mention of “balance-billing” but again it is not a true right of private contract.
Stay well!
Donald
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Donald J. Palmisano, MD, JD
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