On the recordDecember 6, 2011
As a cardiothoracic surgeon, I stand here today to voice my concern about the impending cuts to the Medicare program. I implore the Congress to craft a multiyear fix to the SGR-- ideally, a permanent fix. This is a real threat to seniors across the country. Each year, the Congress continues to play politics with seniors' access to quality care. This must end. Seniors, some of our most vulnerable citizens, may not be able to see the doctors of their choosing if Congress does not address this issue. According to the AMA, one in three physicians is limiting the number of new Medicare patients they see, and one in eight doctors is no longer taking new Medicare patients. That's today. What is more disturbing than these immediate cuts is the fast approaching insolvency date. This is a critical problem. Ignoring the insolvency date of 2024 puts our seniors' care at risk, once again, on an even larger scale than what we are facing today. We cannot continue to bury our heads in the sand. As a physician, on behalf of my patients, let's act now to protect the Medicare program and ensure access to quality care for America's seniors. ____________________
