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Martinez's Vote Hurts Disabled

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By CYNEETHA STRONG Special To The Tampa Tribune

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 9, 2008

During an election year when access to health care is the second most important domestic issue cited by Americans, Sen. Mel Martinez, incredibly, voted against legislation that would ensure stability in the Medicare program for Florida's elderly and disabled patients.

That vote means that, as of July 1, physicians who care for Medicare patients saw their payment slashed by 10.6 percent. Without congressional action to rectify the situation, Medicare will cut an additional 5 percent from physician pay in 2009, according to a June 30 announcement by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, the federal agency that oversees Medicare.

The impact of these cuts threatens elderly and disabled patients' access to health care because it further drives family physicians toward financial insolvency at a time we're already struggling with a shortage of primary care doctors.

In December, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission reported that three out of 10 Medicare patients had trouble finding a new primary care physician. In March, the Medical Group Management Association reported that nearly 24 percent of all physicians had begun limiting or not accepting new Medicare patients; 46 percent would limit or stop accepting new Medicare patients with implementation of the 10.6 percent pay cut that just took effect.

Since 2001, family physicians have worked tirelessly on behalf of Medicare patients, even as Medicare compensation for their services stagnated and they struggled with 20 percent inflation in costs to keep their offices open. No small business - as most family physician practices are - can sustain that kind of loss and remain open to care for people.

Sen. Martinez must return to Washington and support Medicare payment levels that enable family physicians to keep their doors open. The Senator must vote yes on limiting debate and yes on passage of the Medicare bill, HR 6331. Without such a vote, we're all at risk of losing our health care. An insurance card has no value unless there's a doctor in the house.

Cyneetha Strong, MD, is board chair of the Florida Academy of Family Physicians.

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