Physicians’ Concerns About Harsh Medicare Cuts

As part of its National House Call campaign, the AMA held a press conference in conjunction with the Florida Medical Association (FMA) to alert Medicare patients to the detrimental effects cuts to physician payments from Medicare will have on access to care. Payments are set to be cut by 26% over the next 6 years. In the face of consistent steep increases in healthcare costs, this is raising concerns regarding how practices will survive and whether patients will continue to have access to care. “A recent AMA survey showed that 38 percent of physicians will stop taking new Medicare patients if the first scheduled payment cut goes into effect Jan. 1,” said AMA Trustee Joseph M. Heyman, MD, at an August 8 news conference in Tampa. The AMA National House Call campaign is touring states urging patients to contact their congressional representatives to stop the Medicare cuts. What impact do you anticipate the planned Medicare cuts will have on your practice, both financially and in terms of patients’ access? Will you continue to take new Medicare patients?