Drastic 21 percent Medicare physician payment cut will take place on Monday, March 1
 
     A Medicare meltdown now seems certain, as the U.S. Senate has left early for the weekend, abandoning seniors, military families and baby boomers. The Senate failed to repeal the Medicare physician payment formula that will cause a drastic 21 percent payment cut to physicians who care for Medicare and TRICARE patients. On Monday, the 21 percent cut goes into effect, forcing many physicians to limit the number of Medicare and TRICARE patients they see in order to keep their practice doors open.
 
      "Our message to the U.S. Senate is stop playing games with Medicare patients and the physicians who care for them," said AMA President J. James Rohack, M.D. "It is shocking that the Senate would abandon our most vulnerable patients, making them the collateral damage of their procedural games."
 
      Already, about one in four Medicare patients seeking a primary care physician is having trouble finding one, according to MedPAC, Congress' advisory body on Medicare.  Physicians have told AMA that steep Medicare cuts will force them to limit the number of Medicare patients they treat. A new 2010 survey of neurosurgeons found that about 60 percent are already reducing the number of Medicare patients in their practices, and cuts will force nearly 40 percent to decrease the number of new Medicare patients they see. More than 18 percent of neurosurgeons will no longer take new Medicare patients.
 
      "The Senate had more than a year to repeal the formula and ensure the security and stability of Medicare and TRICARE, but that opportunity has been squandered," Dr. Rohack said. "This drastic cut will hurt our senior, disabled and military patients, as well as baby boomers who start entering the Medicare program next year."
 
      "Last November, the U.S. House passed legislation (H.R. 3961) that would repeal the broken formula and better update payments to reflect the increasing cost of care," Dr. Rohack said.  "AARP and the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) have joined with the AMA in calling on the Senate to act, but the Senate has turned its back on America's seniors, military families and baby boomers."

     The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) are notifying their contractors to hold Medicare physician claims for 10 business days, effective Monday.  The agency will also be sending out a similar message on its various list serves this afternoon to physicians, and contractors will be instructed to disseminate this information as well.

     Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), physicians are required to control the ways in which they use and disclose patients' protected health information. The resource "What you need to know about the new health privacy and security requirements" outlines the newly expanded requirements for protection of patient health information, patient rights to this information and administrative protections physicians must have in place. Learn about the compliance deadlines and where you can find more information to ensure your practice is fully protecting your patients' health information.
 
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      As a physician, you know there is strength in numbers. The AMA helps all physicians, regardless of specialty or practice setting, speak with a unified voice on the most important issues facing medicine. Please encourage the physicians in your practice to join or renew their AMA membership by visiting www.ama-assn.org/go/membership or calling (800) 262-3211.

     Join Hispanic physicians, medical students, nurses, policymakers, and health care industry representatives at our annual conference.
     This year, National Hispanic Medical Association celebrates its 14th Conference with partners from the Federal and State governments and the private sector. The conference brings together experts from across the nation to share their experience in eliminating health disparities for Hispanics.  CME accreditation will be provided.