Physicians need to Call

Senator Lugar and Senator Bayh are telling us that they are not hearing from Indiana physicians about the looming Medicare physician payment cuts. So let's make sure they get the message: now is the time to include positive Medicare physician payment updates in the Medicare bill that is being put together!

The American Medical Association, multiple national specialty medical societies, and state medical societies are orchestrating a nationwide physician call-in campaign to the Senate!

We urge you and your staff to call
Senator Lugar and Senator Bayh
on November 6, 7, or 8.

Use the AMA's toll-free Grassroots Hotline at
(800) 833-6354 to connect to your senators.

Members of the Senate Finance Committee are meeting to discuss ways to avert the pending Medicare physician payment cuts. However, they have yet to reach a consensus regarding how to proceed.

The Finance Committee is gridlocked because certain rules require that any new spending increases be offset by corresponding spending decreases or increases in revenue. To date, members of the committee have been unable to agree upon offsets. Reducing over-payments to Medicare Advantage plans is viewed as a possible offset for spending to avert physician payment cuts.

The Senate needs to hear directly from physicians now, as the Medicare package is being crafted, how important it is that the Senate takes action to stop the pending Medicare physician payment cuts.

Ask Senator Lugar and Senator Bayh to speak with Senators Max Baucus, D-Mont., and Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, and urge them to include positive Medicare physician payment updates for the next two years in the Medicare bill that they are drafting. Use the AMA's Toll-Free Grass Roots Hotline at (800) 833-6354 and tell them Congress must dedicate new funding to the update and not use the same old funding gimmicks.