Welcome to EveryPatientCounts.org. Thank you for joining this important effort by agreeing to sign your name onto our petition. In doing so, you are joining thousands of your colleagues, patients, health care administrators and concerned citizens in telling the United States Congress to preserve access to quality health care for current and future generations by enacting a permanent fix to the flawed Medicare physician payment formula.
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The undersigned physicians, medical students, patients, health care administrators and concerned citizens call upon the United States Congress to take immediate action to enact a permanent fix of the current Medicare physician payment formula.
Over the next 4 months, Congress has a unique opportunity to address numerous long-standing policy issues in a meaningful manner outside of historical obstacles and limitations. We believe that the issues associated with the Medicare physician payment formula, specifically the sustainable growth rate (SGR), should be a top priority.
It is our collective opinion that true deficit reduction cannot be achieved without addressing this systemic flaw in our nation’s largest health program. The SGR is an anchor on the Medicare program. It prohibits innovation, contributes to access issues for millions of seniors, and serves as a disincentive to physician participation in the Medicare program.
It is our opinion that any meaningful proposal aimed at addressing the financial stability of the Medicare program must address this issue in a permanent and long-term manner. Any proposal that fails to address the over $300 billion “debt” associated with the SGR is a continuation of 12 years of policies that have contributed to our current situation. Furthermore, they lead to increased financial shortfalls in the Medicare program in the future.
We understand that a solution to the SGR issue is not easy, but we believe there are appropriate options that promote quality and preserve access to care for current and future generations of beneficiaries. We urge you to seize this opportunity.
EveryPatientCounts.org is an advocacy effort aimed at preserving patient access to health care and honoring the physician-patient relationship. Started in 2003, EveryPatientCounts.org was created to allow both patients and physicians an outlet to get involved in grassroots advocacy impacting the practice of medicine and patient care and have their voices heard.
EveryPatientCounts.org is owned and operated by the American Osteopathic Association.
This advocacy campaign is supported by the following organizations:
National Organizations
American Academy of Family Physicians
American Academy of Ophthalmology
American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine
American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases
American College of Emergency Physicians
American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians
American College of Osteopathic Internists
American College of Osteopathic Surgeons
American College of Physicians
American Medical Directors Association
American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics
American Osteopathic Association
American Osteopathic Association of Medical Informatics
American Osteopathic College of Radiology
American Podiatric Medical Association
American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery
American Society of Ophthalmic Administrators
American Urological Association
Emergency Department Practice Management Association
Heart Rhythm Society
Medical Group Management Association
Society of General Medicine
State Organizations
Iowa Osteopathic Medical Association
Maine Osteopathic Association
Missouri Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons
Michigan Association of Osteopathic Family Physicians
Michigan Osteopathic Association
Missouri Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons
New York State Osteopathic Medical Society
Oklahoma Osteopathic Association
Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons of California
Vermont State Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons