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Use war savings to close Medicare gap

Dr. William D. Donovan Old Lyme Note: The writer is a radiologist at William H. Backus Hospital

Publication: The Day

Published 02/09/2012 12:00 AM
Updated 02/08/2012 05:54 PM

Judy Benson's Feb. 1 article "More Medicare patients being refused," highlights the plight doctors face at least annually due to the Sustainable Growth Rate formula (SGR). Tormenting Congress and doctors since 1996, this flawed legislation forces regular congressional votes to defer severe Medicare payment cuts. This looming threat means that doctors cannot be sure of their revenue stream - limiting staff hiring and office expansion, and preventing taking on new patients. The most recent short-term fix was partly paid for by pay cuts to hospitals (and to doctors working in hospitals) - an unhappy solution as well.
As U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney stated on the House floor Jan. 24, there is a potential permanent solution - using excess funds previously allocated for the overseas wars, now potentially available due to early draw down of combat operations. This proposal would not increase consumers' premiums or co-pays. It would stabilize Medicare payments and allow doctors to continue seeing Medicare patients. We applaud Courtney's stance on this issue, and, along with the AMA, urge Congress to finally dispense with the recurring SGR nightmare.

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