The following statement is attributable to:
Bruce A. Scott, M.D.
President, American Medical Association 

“The introduction today of a bill to stop the ruinous Medicare payment cut that is scheduled to go into effect Jan. 1 is a vital sign that Congress is poised to act. Lawmakers must take action during the lame duck session.

“This bipartisan bill would fend off the proposed payment cut and also provide an increase equal to one half the Medicare Economic Index, which is similar to the recommendation from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission. It also builds on the recent Dear Colleague (PDF) this month that called for a legislative fix to the cut and a payment update to reflect inflationary pressures. That letter has support from 233 members in a sign of bipartisan enthusiasm.

 “Reps. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., and Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., sponsored this bill—along with several cosponsors—recognizing that there are only a few legislative days remaining in the year. We appreciate their determination to fix Medicare.

“In medicine, we are accustomed to making rational decisions based on the conditions of our patients. We are simply asking Congress to do the same. Medicare payment rates have fallen by 29 percent (PDF) over the past two decades, when adjusting for the costs of running a practice, threatening patient access and practice viability. Lawmakers need to ask themselves: What rational steps can be taken to strengthen the condition of Medicare?

“We now have the answer. We urge Congress to fix Medicare now."