Washington, DC – U.S. Representative Randy Hultgren (IL-14) joined a bipartisan initiative to urge Congressional leaders to pass a long-term fix to the formula that reimburses physicians who serve patients on Medicare. The letter, signed by 259 Members of Congress, was sent to House Speaker John Boehner and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi requesting fiscally responsible reforms to the Medicare physician payment system.
“Physicians in Illinois and across the country face uncertainty each year as significant payment cuts for serving patients on Medicare hang over them as December nears,” said Rep. Hultgren. “As health care costs rise, it has become obvious the current formula for reimbursing these doctors has become outdated, unrealistic and unsustainable. It’s unacceptable that these doctors have to budget for the future unsure whether or not their receipts could drop by more than a quarter in the next year. We are already facing a serious doctor shortage in this country and our seniors cannot afford for more doctors to call it quits and no longer take Medicare recipients as patients.
“We must provide stability, predictability and sustainability within our Medicare program. Patients need the assurance that doctors will continue to provide for them, and doctors need the assurance they will get paid for doing their job. Members on both sides of aisle agree that it is time for Congress to work toward enacting responsible reforms and replacing the flawed formula with an alternative that controls costs, pays doctors fairly and maintains quality services for Medicare patients.”
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Full text of the letter is available at http://hultgren.house.gov/uploads/2013-11-20%20Medicare.Formula.Reform.Letter.pdf
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