Legislative Matters
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Carole Thompson
cthomp1822@yahoo.com
&
Magda Nava
TMAA VP Legislation
mnava250@satx.rr.co
Physicians need to let Congress know that passage of the Save Medicare Act of 2008 (S 2785) is critical for physicians and their patients.
Dear Alliance Member,
With a 10.6-percent cut in Medicare payments to physicians looming on July 1, physicians need to let Congress know that passage of the Save Medicare Act of 2008 (S 2785) is critical for physicians and their patients. Call the American Medical Association Grassroots Hotline at (800) 833-6354 to be connected to your representatives in Congress and urge them to cosponsor and pass S 2785.The bill prevents the Medicare physician fee cut, retains current payment levels for the remainder of 2008, and raises payments by 1.8 percent in 2009. The bill also continues "rural extender" provisions set to expire and gives Congress time to work on a long-term solution to the broken Medicare payment system.Testifying before the House Small Business Committee, AMA representatives urged Congress to take immediate action to avert cuts that will harm seniors' access to care.
"There are only 53 calendar days, and substantially fewer legislative days, remaining for Congress to fix this problem," said AMA Trustee Cecil B. Wilson, MD. "Time is short, and we urge Congress to act before it is too late."
I just took action on this issue and thought you might find it interesting too. Please TAKE ACTION and help educate our Senators on what is best for our spouses patients. Share a personal experience. Don't leave it for tomorrow, please contact them today!
Magda Nava
TMAA VP Legislation
mnava250@satx.rr.com
Click on this URL to TAKE ACTION NOW!
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/13097.html
Texas Medical Association EVPGram
Volume 10, Number 8
To: TMA Official FamilyFrom: Louis J. Goodman, PhD, CAE, Executive Vice PresidentTexas Medical AssociationDate: February 25, 2008DID YOU VOTE YET?: Early voting for the March 4 Texas primary elections runs through Feb. 29. TEXPAC has endorsed dozens of candidates who will stand up for Texas patients and physicians. Vote early and avoid the election day lines. And remember to share medicine’s endorsements with your family, friends, neighbors, colleagues, staff, and patients. Tell them it’s just what the doctor ordered.
AMA CATCHES HEAT FOR STANDING TOUGH: When you run with the big dogs, sometimes you get a bite taken out of your hide. That’s what happened to the American Medical Association in Washington. You may have read a story recently that inaccurately said AMA lobbyists have been frozen out of discussions with the Senate Finance Committee. With our strong encouragement, AMA took a tough stand on Medicare reform. That ruffled some feathers, and an anonymous, high-ranking congressional aide whose feathers were ruffled managed to get an ask-no-questions Capitol Hill reporter to write the story. AMA needs to keep fighting and taking tough stances for physicians. Our Texas Medicare Manifesto insists that Congress enact a rational Medicare physician payment system that automatically keeps up with the cost of running a practice and is backed by a stable funding source. As long as AMA works together with TMA and other states to further this goal, we all can expect to ruffle some of those sensitive Capitol Hill feathers. That’s a price we’re willing to pay.GREAT ARTICLE ON ALLIANCE LEADER: Her hometown paper did a great job of capturing the energy and passion TMA Alliance President Mia Price puts into her volunteer job. Check it out online.
TMA CALLS FOR REVAMP OF STATE UNINSURED PLAN: Texas’ newest plan to cover a portion of the state’s huge uninsured population “as articulated is not supportable in its current form,” TMA and the Texas Hospital Association (THA) told Health and Human Services Commissioner Albert Hawkins. Lewis Foxhall, MD, delivered the same message on behalf of TMA to the legislature’s committee that is overseeing the 2007 Medicaid reform bill authored by State Sen. Jane Nelson (R-Lewisville). State Rep. Dianne White Delisi (R-Temple), a member of the committee and cosponsor of the Medicaid reform bill, directed Commissioner Hawkins to work with TMA and THA to revise the proposed Health Opportunity Plan. Our Select Committee on Medicaid, CHIP, and the Uninsured is already working on that.HOW MANY DOCTORS DO WE NEED? The latest Podcast TMA takes a look at how Texas and the nation are meeting the growing physician workforce demand. We interview Jordan Cohen, MD, president-emeritus of the American Association of Medical Colleges.
DON’T FORGET; EVPGRAM IS IN THE BLOGOSPHERE: Away from your e-mail but have Web access? You can read the latest EVPGram – and our back issues as well – on the blog.
