Cuts may jeopardize seniors' access to medical care

by Norma Mendoza

The Illinois State Medical Society warns Congress that unless it takes steps to reverse the 5.1 percent cut in Medicare's reimbursement to doctors, Illinois senior citizens' access to medical care will be at risk.

According ISMS, unless the Medicare payment system is fixed before the end of the year when the cuts are scheduled to take effect, Illinois stands to lose $120 million in funding for health care services provided to its seniors.

Officers and leaders of ISMS are calling upon each member of the Illinois congressional delegation to take immediate action to reverse the cuts.

ISMS claims the reimbursement system is based on an outdated and erroneous formula and unless it is changed, Medicare reimbursements to doctors across the nation will be cut 37 percent by 2015, amounting to more than $200 billion.

By 2015, the reductions to the state of Illinois would amount to more than $7.6 billion in funding for medical services to Medicare patients.

The organization states that the average Medicare reimbursement to doctors in 2006 is about the same as it was in 2001.

The doctors say that while reimbursement payments are plummeting, medical practice costs are expected to increase by 22 percent over the same period, according to conservative estimates of the federal government.

They say as many as 45 percent of doctors will either decrease the number or stop accepting new Medicare patients if the reimbursement payments are cut in 2007 as projected.

ISMS wants Congress to act before it recesses for pre-election campaigning at the end of September.

Furthermore, they ask Congress to not only stop the cut, but to also authorize a small reimbursement update for next year to cover the increasing costs of medical practice.

"Congress should permanently scrap the flawed formula in favor of a fair annual reimbursement update," an ISMS news release states.

ISMS promises to print in its October edition of Illinois Medicine EXPRESS over their names all statements the U.S. representatives and senators provide that outline how and when Congress will address the problem of the cuts to Medicare reimbursement as well as what steps each one will take personally to assist in the reversal of the cuts.

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