Press Release - Hearing on Medicare Physician Payment
Hearing on Medicare Physician Payment
WASHINGTON, DC, Sep 28 -
Opening Statement of Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D.
Hearing on Medicare Physician Payment
September 27, 2006
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. First of all, I would like to thank you for holding this hearing and for your personal interest and involvement in trying to resolve this issue. It is appreciated.
I sincerely hope that this hearing today will convey the message to the physician community who have been visiting us here on the Hill in these past few weeks that we are listening, understand the magnitude of scheduled Medicare cuts, and are working to develop a sustainable solution.
With a 5.1 percent cut in Part B rates scheduled to take effect January 1, 2007, access to care will become an issue - it is already an issue. It is simple economics that physicians, as small business owners, cannot consistently spend more on care than they earn. Over a span of 9 years, physicians face annual cuts averaging 5 percent. I think it is foolhardy to think that any rational businessperson, having the fore-knowledge that in a decade they will make roughly half of what they make today, would remain in that business for very long.
My colleague, Charlie Norwood, and I introduced H.R. 5866, the Medicare Physician Payment Reform and Quality Improvement Act of 2006. H.R. 5866 represents an attempt to provide long-term reform and takes a turn toward a more stable and rational way to pay physicians who participate in Medicare.
I am also pleased that Chairman shares the goal, and has developed a discussion draft that provides a stabilization period for Medicare physician payment. Chairman Barton, thank you for working with me as you have developed this draft and I look forward to working with you through October and November to make this proposal a reality.
I would like to extend a special welcome to Dr. Sallie Cook today for her invaluable help in this process. Dr. Cook is a pathologist, specializing in blood-banking, and serves as both the President of the American Health Quality Association and the Chief Medical Officer of the Virginia Health Quality Center. She and her staff have been invaluable as I have worked to develop language that would improve QIO function and accountability. I think the QIOs represent a vital component to the reforms we will discuss here today.
I would like to thank all our panelists for taking the time to be here. The problems facing health care today of truly require a united front from the medical community, and we welcome your input.
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