I’m in our nation’s capital this week with hundreds of my fellow physicians from across the country. We’re here standing shoulder to shoulder during the AMA’s National Advocacy Conference to tell our members of Congress that now is the time to fix the broken Medicare payment formula once and for all.
And we’re delivering that message face to face at this critical time. Congress has until March 31 to pass a bill to repeal Medicare’s fatally flawed SGR formula. It’s a unique window of opportunity now that they have joint, bipartisan legislation in their hands that could not only eliminate the SGR formula but also implement other important changes.
This is our opportunity to drive home our message: Congress must not let this opportunity pass.
That’s where you come in. Our presence on Capitol Hill will be very important, but so is the action you can take from your office or home. Even if you couldn’t make it to D.C. this week, you still can make a strong impact.
As part of today’s National Day of Action for SGR Repeal, you can join thousands of others in calling your members of Congress. Simply use the AMA’s Physician Grassroots Network hotline at (800) 833-6354 to be connected to your lawmakers’ offices. Tell them to repeal SGR and co-sponsor the bill, H.R. 4015/S. 2000. You also can email them via our Fix Medicare Now campaign site.
Every voice counts. We’re all part of a larger movement to end this decade-long battle.
We’ve worked too hard and come too far to let this moment slip away. If this bill passes, we’ll eliminate the instability caused by the SGR formula and have the opportunity for modest payment increases. Otherwise, we’ll face yet another temporary patch, or worse, a 24 percent cut to physician payments.
Time is running out to let your lawmakers know that now is the time to repeal the SGR. Find out whether your members of Congress have co-sponsored the bill yet by visiting RepealSGR.org.
March 31 is our deadline. We can win this battle, but we can only do so together. Tell Congress to fix Medicare now. Wherever you are on this National Day of Action for SGR Repeal, be sure to lend your voice.
