Some good news

[Mister Mxyzptlk]

Maybe this will brighten your weekend.

General AMA news

1) AMA applauds new Senate bill to stop Medicare physician cuts
The AMA welcomed a new bill introduced by U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., this week that would replace 18 months of Medicare payment cuts to physicians with payment updates that better reflect medical practice cost increases.

In three short months, Medicare will cut physician payments by 10.6 percent. Right now, 60 percent of physicians say the cut will force them to limit the number of new Medicare patients they can treat. The 18-month timeframe in the Save Medicare Act of 2008 (S. 2785) will inject some stability into the system for seniors as well as physicians forced to make difficult practice decisions because of planned payment cuts. It will also give Congress time to begin working on a long-term solution to the broken payment system without having to take action to stop the cuts twice in one year.

Earlier this week, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission made a recommendation to lawmakers to replace physician payment cuts with updates that reflect medical practice cost increases.

“Senator Stabenow’s bill is an important step toward implementing this recommendation, and we urge Congress to act before the cut begins this July and seniors’ access to care is negatively affected,” said AMA President-elect Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, Ph.D.

Next month, you can address this issue face to face with members of Congress at the AMA National Advocacy Conference, April 1–2. As part of the conference, members of the AMA and AMA Alliance will rally April 2 at Capitol Hill’s Upper Senate Park in support of the bill. Prior to the rally, attendees will hear from insiders about the political climate on Capitol Hill and get the latest on medicine’s legislative priorities.

Learn more about the National Advocacy Conference and register.

Call (800) 833-6354 or visit the Web site to get in touch with your members of Congress in support of S. 2785.

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[Doctodd]

good news.....it doesnt make sense to cut us when everything is getting more expensive. The hospitals have us by the short ones. Since Commercial insurance payments to us go by medicare rates, and will also pay us less, why arent hospitals forced to accept commercial insurance rates just like we are?....im whining.

Does anyone have a commercial insurance contract that DOESNT follow/pay a percentage of Medicare?

T

 

[stim111]

I, of course, applaud any effort that supports the income of physicians. The difficulty in dealing with politicians who first rule of any action is whether the action will help them stay in office. If the action by the politician endears them to a significant and powerful base of support, but pisses off a less powerful one, namely one with less money and fewer votes, and this action enables them to stay in office, it is easy to see what faction will get screwed. Physicians have been too busy seeing patients to get on the phone with their representatives to make their voice heard, plut the conflict between an altruistic profession and the desire for an increase in income can be at odds for some. I have never understood why medicine, if it is so important of a profession, can result in ever decreasing payment despite the rising costs of practice. Do autos go down in price? Food? Housing? Fixed costs? Insurance? It makes me insane!!

 

[Tenesma]

you guys are forgetting the elephant in the room

Medicare this year (for the first time) will pay out MORE than it receives... The medicare trust will be depleted by 2019 or 2020...

so if Medicare support doesn't get fixed (ie: medicare tax rate isn't increased), there will be less and less money to go around... Medicare will slowly evolve into Medicaid... and they will fiercely use utilization review...

this does not bode well for our specialty - as we (including the idiot family practitioners/naturopaths/etc) inject way too much with very poor quality control and data...

again physicians are myopic and can only see what is right in front of them instead of the big picture ---

 

[Disciple]

Medicare this year (for the first time) will pay out MORE than it receives... The medicare trust will be depleted by 2019 or 2020...

Did you get that off of Glenn Beck?

 

[m3unsure]

you guys are forgetting the elephant in the room

Medicare this year (for the first time) will pay out MORE than it receives... The medicare trust will be depleted by 2019 or 2020...

so if Medicare support doesn't get fixed (ie: medicare tax rate isn't increased), there will be less and less money to go around... Medicare will slowly evolve into Medicaid... and they will fiercely use utilization review...

this does not bode well for our specialty - as we (including the idiot family practitioners/naturopaths/etc) inject way too much with very poor quality control and data...

again physicians are myopic and can only see what is right in front of them instead of the big picture ---

I think pain is kind of protected in some ways compared to blood pressure or LDL. It's subjective and how do you force utilization reviews on that. Just asking.

 

[Tenesma]

you are kidding me right?... wait till you are in practice and you have to negotiate with some guy with a thick accent you can't quite decipher who has no training or understanding of pain management who follows rules/guidelines written by a 14 year old and repeatedly tells you that there is no indication for epidural steroid injection for radicular pain - and then recommends 6 weeks of physical therapy .... you then tell him that patient tried PT once, and couldn't participate due to exacerbations of his pain - he then tells you that the patient has to complete 6 weeks of PT first before further requests can be made... when you explain that the patient can't tolerate PT he then responds that is what his guidelines require... then he gives you another 800 number you can call where you can argue with someone with an even thicker accent who understands even less about pain.... welcome to our world

 

[Doctodd]

you are kidding me right?... wait till you are in practice and you have to negotiate with some guy with a thick accent you can't quite decipher who has no training or understanding of pain management who follows rules/guidelines written by a 14 year old and repeatedly tells you that there is no indication for epidural steroid injection for radicular pain - and then recommends 6 weeks of physical therapy .... you then tell him that patient tried PT once, and couldn't participate due to exacerbations of his pain - he then tells you that the patient has to complete 6 weeks of PT first before further requests can be made... when you explain that the patient can't tolerate PT he then responds that is what his guidelines require... then he gives you another 800 number you can call where you can argue with someone with an even thicker accent who understands even less about pain.... welcome to our world

hopefully the research we need will solve that problem....you can also say that you have no other choice and will be sending the patient to the ER for a $10,000 work up and ask him how much that will cost?

 

[Doctodd]

or you can ask if the insurance approves Vytorin, and then read them this yahoo story

"But doctors were stunned to learn that Vytorin failed to improve heart disease even though it worked as intended to reduce three key risk factors.
"People need to turn back to statins," said Yale University cardiologist Dr. Harlan Krumholz, referring to Lipitor, Crestor and other widely used brands. "We know that statins are good drugs. We know that they reduce risks." The study was closely watched because Zetia and Vytorin have racked up $5 billion in sales despite limited proof of benefit."