The following blog comes from the AMA (American Medical Association).

I felt that it was important enough that everyone sees this, so I am helping to spread the word.

Permanent Medicare Reform Needed

An AMA survey shows that drastic cuts in Medicare payments will make it harder for patients to see their doctor.

Consider some of these alarming survey results:

  • 60% of all doctors say a Medicare cut will force them to decrease or stop seeing new patients and to discontinue nursing home visits.
  • A majority of doctors in rural communities say they will no longer be able to conduct important outreach services due to nine years of projected cuts.
  • Nearly 3 out of 4 doctors say the Medicare cuts will force them to delay purchasing critical new medical equipment.
  • 65% of doctors say the Medicare cuts will force them to delay purchase of new health care technology.

Many doctors also reported that more Medicare patients are now being treated in emergency rooms for conditions that could have been treated in a physician’s office, that it’s gotten harder to refer patients to certain medical and surgical specialists, and that many seniors now have to travel further for needed medical care.

S. 1776 eliminates the flawed Medicare payment system and preserves seniors access to care. Use (888) 434-6200 to call your senators and tell them to support S. 1776. 
As you see from above, by trying to help a sector get medical care and out of the emergency rooms, legislation would effectively put another sector (which is larger) in the same boat.

We must not sacrifice our seniors for the sake of another sector.  It is crucial that we find another alternative that doesn’t make any one group the scape goat.